You Belong To Me
by BebopSamurai
Summary: Alternate take on the last leg of the series, according to the manga's alterations. COMPLETEChapter 50 now up!
1. Genesis

You Belong To Me 

Shinji/Rei pairing

This is my own take on the Eva series post-16th angel, following the alterations included in the manga version (which in this case is the 11th). To those who haven't read it, here is what's different:  
1) Kaworu is already introduced (around the equivalent of episode 22).

2) Shinji doesn't like Kaworu--at all : )

3) Asuka is incapacitated after the 15th angel (10th angel here)-- she's basically the way she is at the beginning of episode 24.

4) Only 12 Angels in the manga.

5) Rei and Shinji have a more well-defined relationship--Rei develops feelings for Shinji after the attack of Zeruel, but hasn't voiced them. Shinji does not act any differently, but is aware that he may see her as more than a friend.

6) Kaworu replaces Asuka immediately following her mindrape-- he and Rei go out to fight the 11th Angel together.

The story starts at the attack of the 11th Angel.

I do not own Evangelion (Property of Gainax) or "You Belong To Me," originally performed by Patsy Cline.

* * *

Chapter 1: Genesis

Rei came out of her reverie as the Eva's lift screeched to a halt and clicked into place, signaling its arrival on the surface of Tokyo-3. With only the force of her will, she moved the mechanical behemoth's right hand and clutched the equally massive pallet gun on the side of the elevator, then stepped out into the almost blinding sunlight. She felt the creak and groan of machinery beneath her as the monster she controlled obeyed her thoughts and moved behind the trees that sheltered its presence from the Angel hovering above her. She was so focused on the task at hand that she was a little surprised when she heard the voice of her fellow pilot from the comlink.

"Ayanami--are you in position?" Kaworu asked from the cockpit of Unit-02.

Rei didn't answer at first, having gotten accustomed to the boisterous and arrogant ranting of Unit-02's former pilot so well that the voice of someone else, especially this new pilot, was a little unsettling. But she would get used to it, she supposed. Sorhyu wouldn't be piloting, much less capable of coherent conversation, for quite a while.

"I'm ready when you are," she answered passively. They both focused their attention on the floatingdouble-helixof light that was the Angel.

* * *

From inside the cockpit of the quarantined Unit-01, Shinji sat watching the events unfold above him, thanks to the video feed coming from a combination of NERV's surveillance system and the video monitoring installed in each Eva. He knew that he was being paranoid, but he watched Rei's Unit-00 with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Misato had assured him that the both Kaworu and Rei would be fine (two-on-one odds being her sole supporting argument), and normally Shinji would be glad to not have to go and fight anyway. After what had happened to Asuka, though, Shinji felt far more worried. He though of the normally energetic girl and how blank her face had looked from her psychological attack. How broken she was--possibly beyond recall. And she was the best of all of them.

What if...something happened to Rei? Shinji shook the thought from his already anxious mind. No-- he didn't want to think about that. Rei would be fine. She was such a strong person-- she'd find a way to survive. Still, he had never been so anxious to go into battle.

* * *

"All right, listen up," Misato's voice barked over the intercom. "We can't confirm it's an Angel at this point. The pattern keeps shifting from Blue to Orange."

Ritsuko looked at the monster onscreen thoughtfully. "Is it waiting for us to strike first?"

"Rei, Kaworu-- we can't do anything for now. Just hold position and observe it."

The pilot of Unit-00 narrowed her eyes as she spoke with a primal certainty: "No. It's coming."

Without warning, the Angel morphed from its double-helix form into a single ring of light, then broke itself in two and headed straight at her.

Kaworu saw it coming and pushed Unit-00 out of harm's way before firing his rifle. The shots bounced cleanly off the being as it continued to aim at Rei.

"The rifle doesn't work! I need another option!" Kaworu yelled into his intercom.

Misato had to think fast. "Aoba! Send up armament elevator #26!" The technician assented wordlessly, keying the request into the computer terminal. "Kaworu--I'm sending up the dual saw-- try and get the Angel off Rei's back!"

Rei was just barely avoiding the Angel's strikes as it sped at her. After avoiding a close hit, she saw an opening in the Angel's defense and fired at it-- splitting its one end into a dozen. Rei's eye's widened as the monster finally made contact, smashing through her AT field as though it was nothing. She managed to grab the beast and continue to shoot it with her rifle, but it was implacable in its quest to destroy Unit-00.

"Ayanami!" Shinji shouted her name, his eyes wide with fear.

At that moment, Unit-02 leapt through the thick trees into the air, and landed right next to where Rei and the Angel were, carrying the energy saw in the Eva's right hand.

Despite the dire situation they were in, Misato and Ritsuko both uttered words of astonishment at the fifth Child's piloting. Even Shinji was impressed-- he grudgingly admitted that although Asuka was very good, Kaworu was much better.

The Angel didn't stop it's assault on Rei, but turned its other end to charge Unit-02.

"Sorry," Kaworu smiled into the intercom, "but I'm going to win this one." _The plan is against you,_ he thought at the Angel.

It sped towards him, but Kaworu managed to hold the Angel off with the saw. Sparks flew as the vibrating, serrated blades of the saw made contact with the being of light, but it couldn't pierce the 'skin.' He grimaced as the end of the Angel touched the flat of the blade and thick veins began to spread just under the metal. _Damn... an 'encroachment' type,_ Kaworu thought as he dropped the saw before it could spread farther.

Shinji had his eyes glued on Unit-02, but a faint scream, really more of a gasp, and he feared for the worst. _No..._ He quickly switched the screen over to see the Angel spreading through Unit-00. He stared in a state of utter shock, unable to think or function, until another groan of pain reached his ears.

"REI!" Shinji screamed into the intercom, as though his words could change what he was seeing.

Kaworu gritted his teeth in frustration as he pulled out his progressive knife, his last resort. Before hecould react,the Angel, who still had the dual saw, threw the weapon at him while it was still functioning. A second later, Unit-02 fell to the ground, its right leg completely severed. Kaworu wanted to scream from the sensory feedback, and nearly believed he had lost his real leg, but all he could do was freeze up, trembling from the Eva's shared pain.

"...Damnit..."


	2. Judges

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 2: Judges

Rei could just barely make out Shinji's voice calling her name. The pain from the Angel was overwhelming all her other senses and she was putting all her energy into not screaming. She felt her eyesight slowly start to fade. Suddenly she opened her eyes to find herself standing (or rather, floating) at the edge of a beach of thick, yellow liquid. The thick smell in the air told her it was LCL.

And standing in the pool was Rei.

_...It looks like me,_ the pilot of Unit-00 considered from her place on the sand. _Am I here...Or there?_ The being raised its head to Rei to reveal...herself. But Rei knew it wasn't really her...she was smiling. A strange smile, one that imitated warmth but was in reality a mockery of it. It didn't help that the thing's eyes were red, like her own. The color she loathed.

"...Are you one of the beings we call an Angel?" Rei asked her doppelganger as it continued to stare at her with her own eyes.

The Angel didn't answer, but merely continued to smile. "Do you wish to become one with me?" It asked her sweetly, like a mother offering her child a rare treat.

Rei didn't hesitate in her answer. "No. I am me. I am not going to go with you."

"What you desire is of no consequence now," the Angel whispered with its mock sweetness. "Just look."

The pale-haired girl shifted her eyes downward. Sure enough, thick veins were spreading from where the Angel had made contact with her Eva (near her stomach) and were creeping their way up her neck. Rei cringed as she felt it slowly probe the depths of her mind-- she tried to block it out, but knew the Angel was unceasing as it looked at her mind with an almost scientific curiousity.

She felt flashes pass through her mind's eye. Of people and events past. _The Commander...Dr. Akagi... The fight with the 4th Angel... the 7th Angel..._ Rei could sense a flicker of rage from the being as it watched its brethren die and a vindictive smile flickered at her lips. At least she was causing the Angel some pain--if it had a sense of what that was.

The Angel glared at the girl before her-- she seemed completely emotionless. It continued its examination of her mind and located something that finally caused Rei's facade to waiver. It grinned with its smile of poisoned honey before diving into the area of the mind that the lilim called the 'soul.'

_No..._ Rei faltered, but it was too late. She felt not just images, but feelings this time. What she'd always tried to force out of her head but haunted her as she slept at night. Some of the images were just a little blurry, as there were imagined events mixed with the real.

_The Commander's face, lined with fear and concern, as it burst through the broken entry plug._

_The cold feel of chain link through her swimsuit as she sat at the opposite end of the school pool, and overheard a boy with glasses acknowledge her, saying "She's probably just got a bad personality."_

_Walking calmly through the rain, passing the girls who whispered about her-- none of what they said nice._

_The darkness of a cold room, with strange, frightening words written on the walls._

_The hysterical screaming of a dark-haired woman as her hands wrapped just below her chin, in a desperate attempt to wring the life out of her._

"Interesting. These all share a common thread," the Angel uttered, a hint of intrigue in its voice. "I believe there is a lilim word for it." If it expected Rei to answer, it was disappointed. "...Loneliness," it ultimately determined.

It continued its journey through Rei's subconcious, and Rei saw images of a familiar shock of red hair. _Sorhyu..._

This time, she was assaulted with Asuka--_ Rei saw the spiteful half-German yelling not at her, but at a familiar brown- haired male._

_The barely discernable softening of the red head's glare when he wasn't looking._

_The twisting in her stomach as she watched Asuka walk off with the boy-- looking no less cruel, but comfortable._

_The screaming she had heard as she descended into Terminal Dogma to retrieve the Lance of Longinus._

_The boy slamming his fist in fury and helplessness into a nearby hospital chair as he stood over the girl's inert form._

_Her own hands around Asuka's throat, crushing her airway as she waved her arms about in a futile attempt to escape death... Wait..._ Rei shocked herself at that thought.

_Do I... truly wish for...that?_

"And this... it must be 'jealousy'..." the Angel spoke to itself, as though marking off a list of things to be done. "Strange. It all seems directed at..."

_No..._ Rei thought, somehow knowing what was coming. _Please don't make me face that..._

And her mind was flooded this time with images of a single boy.

_She felt his eyes on her back as she walked away, somehow not feeling quite so cold._

_His hand on hers, warm against the icy water as he worried about her small burn._

_His tears as he burst through the entry plug, like his father had before him, yet the feeling was stronger-- and much warmer-- than before._

_The odd, indescribable ache at his nearness on the escalator, her eyes falling on him as he happened to look the other way._

_The almost impossible-to-suppress urge to reach out and hold his hand, if only to let him know the truth._

"Please stop," she half-pleaded to the Angel. Her strength had faded before the sensations that she held close to her heart--so close that no one else should be allowed to see them.

The Angel raised an eyebrow, its smile broadening slightly. "... I've violated your very mind, yet only now do you protest. Why?"

"This... Is it the lilim emotion... that you call...love?"

Rei suddenly snapped back to reality as she felt a warm drop of moisture slide down her face and onto her lap. She raised a free hand and caught another, staring at it. "These... are tears."

Her mind felt dazed and muddled from the Angel's maintained contact with her.

"Am...I the one crying?"


	3. John 3:16

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 3: John 3:16

A/N: Here's chapter 3-- Sorry i'm going so slow, but I'm trying to do my best to make sure I stay true to the essence of the characters. Thanks to everyone for reviewing the first couple chapters-- any feedback can only help and give me an idea of how to improve or stay the course! And now, our feature presentation...

* * *

Unit-00 was writhing on the ground, gripping its head as though suffering from a splinter in its mind. Shinji tried to look away, but the sporadic whimpers of pain from Rei were making it hard to sit still. He had to do something-- it was like watching Asuka all over again...

"Father! Please! Let me go!" Shinji yelled at the stoic Commander Ikari, barely able to keep his prepubescent voice from cracking under the stress. "I have to help her! Let me fight!"

Gendo was silent for a moment, considering the situation as it lay before him. If Rei were to die, it could lead to problems with his scenario... "Katsuragi!"

Misato turned to face the Commander.

"I want Evangelion Unit-01 taken out of quarantine-- launch it immediately!"

She stared at Gendo, a surprised look on her face. "But sir, the S2 engine-- if Unit-01 makes contact with an Angel now, we don't know what could happen!"

"I don't care. Do it!"

Misato knew that between Rei and Shinji, she was more worried about his safety...but as she looked at the pilot of Unit-01, she saw the impatience and desperation in his face, and knew that he didn't care, either.

"...Yes, sir."

* * *

A moment later, the lift brought Unit-01 to the surface, and Shinji grabbed the rifle docked near him.

_Ayanami-- wait for me...Please..._ he prayed silently to whatever universal power could hear him.

"Shinji-- we know the rifle can't kill the Angel, so just try to distract it...That might be able to buy enough time for Rei to get away, understand!"

"Right!" Shinji gripped the controls of the Eva in determination, and in a flash his AT Field was up.

The Angel stopped invading Rei, sensing such a tremendous force of energy that it turned to acknowledge it. Rei couldn't see him from where she was, but she could sense the AT Field through the Angel still attached to her.

"...Ikari?" she whispered in shock, before she could stop herself.

_Ahh...I thought he would come,_ the Angel spoke into her mind as clearly as if it was talking right next to her. _The lilim who occupies all of your thoughts. If you will not surrender, perhaps he shall..._

Shinji barely had time to move as the Angel burst through the trees. It nearly grazed Unit-01's faceplate but smashed into the just-emptied Eva lift, sending schrapnel and twisted steel flying in all directions, tearing holes in the ground and reducing some of the nearby foliage to splinters. He used the opportunity to shoot at the stream of energy, but as fast as it had attacked the Angel curved through the trees, uprooting those in its path and managed to make contact with Unit-01's left arm.

Shinji groaned as he felt veins spidering their way up his arm starting at his wrist, causing it to seize up. He dropped the rifle in his right hand and instinctively reached for the prog knife on the Eva's left shoulder. It has to work... he flipped the knife upside-down and prepared to drive it into the Angel when a familiar voice drifted into his mind.

_"...No, Ikari. Please...Please don't hurt me."_ Shinji hesitated as he blinked and in the Angel's place was Rei-- Rei crying...

Shinji felt his resolve slowly leave him as he stared at the apparition of Rei, holding onto the Eva's arm (where the Angel had been a second previously) and looking up at him, tears rolling down 'her' face as 'she' pleaded for him to not harm her. Shinji tried to convince himself that it wasn't really Ayanami, that it was just a trick of the eye, but he couldn't bring himself to lower the knife into the form of the girl he knew. He slowly felt himself drift as 'Rei's' tears slowly dried, and she favored him with a smile.

Misato's voice snapped him back to reality. "Shinji, what are you doing? Use the progressive knife!"

The boy suddenly realized that the veins on his arm had slowly spread to his chest and were progressing to the rest of his body. He gripped the knife, shut his eyes and forced the blade into the Angel. It let out a scream that could crack glass as yellowish blood spurted from its new wound, the ghost of Rei fading from its body. Yet it did not release its grip on Shinji. In fact, it pulled its attention away from Rei and slowly started to leave her Eva to bring its full wrath against the new agressor.

Rei knew she should have been relieved, but her worries were now for her fellow pilot, the veins on Unit-01 becoming more pronounced. _Shinji..._ Rei prayed that this would go away, and simply be just a nightmare, but the Angel regarded her as it prepared to leave her body.

_Consider this a stay of execution... and payment for your betrayal of your brothers and sisters._

"...What?..."

_...One life for another,_ the Angel stated simply. _...Although to merely take his life would not satisfy me entirely..._

Rei was frozen in shock as comprehension dawned on her. She stared as she heard Shinji's screams fill the intercom now. Then her eyes narrowed, and before the Angel could exit her entirely she grabbed the being, and it paused in surprise.

"...No."

Suddenly the Angelwas drawn back to Unit-00; a force stronger than itself, coupled with the Eva's own strength, overwhelmed it. Rei forced the being inside Unit-00, in the fashion of a samurai committing ritual suicide, pulling it away from Shinji. She heard him gasp for air as though he had been underwater, and knew that at least the Angel didn't have him anymore.

* * *

Back at the command center, Maya stared at Unit-00's statistics in shock. "Major! Unit-00's reversed it's AT Field!"

"What?"

"Is that even possible?" Ritsuko looked over her assistant's shoulder at the screen and saw that it was true. "She's pulling the Angel into herself!"

"New signals--" Hyuga spoke in a tone of utter surprise. "...She's activating her Drive-D!"

Misato gaped at the technican's words, then tuned the radio desperately to Rei's frequency. "No, Rei! Eject! Get as far away as you can!"

"...I can't," came the reply from the radio's other end.

* * *

Within the entry plug of Unit-00, Rei had managed to climb to the top of her cockpit's seat, and by entering some numbers into the small keypad, a pair of levers slid out of the thick metal.

"If I leave, the AT Field will cease to be," a note of cold determination entered her voice-- "I will not allow that to happen." She pulled the first lever, causing the cockpit to flash red and alarms to blare.

WARNING...SELF-DESTRUCT ACTIVATED. FIRST SAFETY LOCK OVERRIDDEN. EVACUATE AND MOVE AS FAR FROM CURRENT LOCATION AS POSSIBLE. WAITING FOR CONFIRMATION OF FINAL SAFETY LOCK TO ACTIVATE...

The Commander's voice, so deeply ingrained into her thoughts, crackled over the intercom. "Rei. Deactivate the self-destruct and evacuate immediately."

The girl listened to his order, but instead of obeying, she found herself replying negatively.

"But Commander... Unit-01's pilot--"

"...Is of no consequence." Gendo ignored the disgusted looks of his subordinates and continued to speak calmly into the reciever. "This is an order, Rei. Evacuate at once."

Rei hesitated, her palm hovering over the second lever. Suddenly, she heard a voice inside her head, repeating:

I_ don't want to die _

_I don't want to die _

_I don't want to die _

_I don't want to die _

_I don't want to die..._

_Are these my thoughts...or the Angel's?_ The border between her mind and the being fused to her Eva was getting blurry again. Rei felt the tears slowly welling up in her eyes, uncertain of what to do. She wanted to run-- anything to escape the fate she had placed apon herself.

"Rei, no!" the girl looked into the video feed coming from Eva-01...Shinji. She stared as she looked into the face of the boy-- his face was like it was after the 4th Angel-- desperate, crying with abandon. "You have to get out of there! I'll help you-- just wait a little more!"

Rei simply looked at him from her end of the video monitor. Then, as if out of nowhere, voice came through, although she turned her eyes away.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Shinji faltered, her words cutting through the din of the alarms, to his very soul. "Ayanami, wait-- there has to be something else that we can do! Don't worry about the Eva; just get out! PLEASE, REI!"

She didn't respond as she slowly lowered her hand to rest above the final lever, she closed her eyes, as though praying for strength. She then took what she thought would be her last look at Shinji-- her eyes, red as blood, taking in the one person who had treated her like she mattered.

In spite of everything, she smiled.

And it was not a patronizing smile, like the Angel had mocked her with, nor was it the barely perceptible grin that she occasionally favored the Commander with. It was a look of pure and utter peace, a reflection of the tranquility she had found and had believed, so many years ago, she was never meant to savor in her life.

"...Goodbye, Shinji." In one smooth motion, she pushed the lever in.

And at that moment there was only light.


	4. Ezekiel

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 4: Ezikiel

It was a few minutes before the light of Unit-00's explosion eventually faded.

It took a minute after that for someone to speak.

"Target...destroyed," Hyuga broke the silence, as gently as he could.

Where Tokyo-3 had been just moments before, there was practically nothing now, merely a smoking crater in the ground and a few building that were fortunate enough to have been built beyond the blast's circumference.

Maya said something about there being 'no sign of Unit-00,' but she was barely intelligible through her sobbing.

Misato merely stood with her hands clenched into fists, staring at the screen, as though what she had seen would go away if she concentrated hard enough. "...Recover Units 01 and 02. And send out a rescue team."

"...If there's anything left **to** rescue."

Misato turned angrily to the voice's source, but Ritsuko looked the other way, not quite cruel enough to meet her friend's eye.

* * *

A half hour later, Misato's footsteps echoed through the hallway to find her ward sitting in the fetal position on a bench near the exit to the parking garage, with Kaworu leaning on the wall next to him. Neither one spoke, although Kaworu's silence seemed to be one more of boredom than respect. 

"...Shinji. I'll drop you off at the house, but I have to come back later, OK?"

When the boy didn't answer, Misato leaned down to make eye contact. She could plainly see, from this angle, the dead, far-off look in his eyes. She quietly pitied him, but knew that he didn't want to talk about what he had just seen. "Shinji?... Let's go home, all right?"

He didn't say a word, just picked himself up and made to follow his guardian out the door. Kaworu watched his fellow pilot with a nonplussed expression on his face. He didn't understand why the boy was acting this way, but his instincts told him that saying something comforting would help.

"You know Shinji..." the subject of his attention stopped, but didn't turn around; the Major turned her head curiously.

"If you're acting this way about the First... you shouldn't be. What she did was rash and foolish. She deserved to di--"

He wasn't sure if what silenced him was the sudden, furious glare as Shinji turned around, or the right hook that followed right behind it. But Kaworu found himself upon the ground, blood dribbling out of his mouth and nose. Shinji made to strike again, and he nearly did, but Misato managed to stop his arm. He struggled furiously against her, staring at Kaworu with a look of pure hatred.

"SAY THAT AGAIN! SAY IT AGAIN, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"Shinji, STOP! This won't do you any good..."

"DON'T YOU **EVER** TALK ABOUT HER LIKE YOU KNEW HER OR EVEN UNDERSTOOD HER! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU EVEN KNOW! DOES WHAT SHE DID MEAN NOTHING TO YOU!"

"Shinji, calm down! It's too late!"

"CALM DOWN! WITH THIS BASTARD JUST ACTING LIKE LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED?"

Kaworu didn't say a word, he simply sat where he had fallen, staring bewildered at Shinji's completely unexpected reaction. He'd merely been stating the facts... Misato had never had a problem getting Shinji to simply do what he was told, but she was having trouble maintaining her grip on him. "Shinji..."

"--'SHE DESERVED IT?' YOU WERE RIGHT THERE AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO HELP HER! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU-- IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU! NOT HER!"

"Shinji, stop!... There's nothing you can do-- Sh-she's gone..."

"...It should have...been you... goddamnit..." but the rage in Shinji's eyes had burned out, quenched by the brutal weight of the truth. For a moment, he simply looked blank (almost eerily like Rei), staring past Kaworu at a point only he could see, then he fainted into Misato's arms.

"...Shinji!" Misato set him down, checking his breathing and pulse.

Kaworu stood up, staring at his assailant without any sense of anger or desire for retaliation-- just his unnerving curiousity. "Is he dead?" he asked seriously.

Misato looked at the Fifth oddly, wondering if he was serious or not. "...Of course not. He's just exausted." She managed to pick him up and carry him with an arm slung over her shoulder. She slowly made her way towards the door.

"...Do you need help?"

"No, but... thank you. He'll be fine with a little sleep." Somehow she doubted that possibility, but hope springs eternal.

Kaworu watched the pair leave even after the automatic doors shut behind them. He suddenly became aware of the blood on his face, and wiped it off on his arm. He looked at it oddly, then at where Shinji had been moments earlier.

"...Quite unpredictable, those humans are."

* * *

Deep within Terminal Dogma, Gendo Ikari stared at a tube in the center of a circular room with Kozou Fuyutsuki by his side. For a while neither man spoke. Finally the older man broke the silence. 

"Yui...she must hate the both of us for all this."

Gendo didn't turn around, but Fuyutsuki knew he was listening. "My sins were all for the sake of something greater-- for both myself and for her. Surely you understand that."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, Gendo. It's just...that girl... should we have made her suffer as much as she did? Was it truly worth it in the end?"

The Commander of NERV turned to look his companion in the eye, but only enough that one side of his face could be seen.

"'In the end?' Nothing ends, Fuyutsuki. Nothing ever ends."

Gendo walked out, straight past his only companion as he said, "Prepare another shell. The memory banks weren't updated before Rei's last battle, so the rest will just need to be filled in manually."

Fuyutsuki nodded, but continued to watch his former student with a look of contempt mixed with pity.

_I suppose...it was impossible for you to forget._

* * *

During the drive back to the apartment, Shinji had woken up, looking groggy but remaining quiet. The remainder of the evening was spent in silence. After a few hours the boy got up from the couch in the TV room and headed to his room. 

"...I'm going to bed, Misato."

She jumped at his sudden words, then turned her left palm face up to look at her watch.

"Shinji, it's only seven. Aren't you hungry?..."

He only shook his head in response, not even bothering to look back at her. Without another word, he walked around the corner, and a few seconds later the sound of a sliding door being shut echoed in the apartment. Misato knew that she needed to get back to headquarters, but for a few moments, she lingered outside of Shinji's door. She raised her hand as if to knock, but something held her back before she could make impact with the flimsy wooden door. She wanted to say something-- some words of comfort, tell him not to worry, that everything would be all right-- but the image of Kaji haunted her, taking away what little courage she had. She chuckled grimly to herself.

"What can I say to him?...After all, I'm grieving over someone, too." The Major turned on her heel and slowly walked out of the apartment.

From behind the doorway in his room, Shinji watched Misato's shadow disappear, and he knew that he was alone.

* * *

A few hours earlier, Ritsuko and the salvage/rescue team were carefully combing the area surrounding what now remained of the city. The doctor wasn't a heartless woman, but she considered the whole thing a fool's errand. The explosion had been so powerful that it had broken through part of the coastline, and the ocean was rapidly filling in the gap of land. It even seemed that Unit-00 had been completely evaporated, just from the lack of any parts whatsoever. 

_Following procedure for something like this is just superfluous... everyone knows we won't find anything anyway... _

"Doctor!"

One of the workers interrupted her thoughts as he ran to her from his position on the crater's edge. "We've found the Entry Plug!"

She followed the man to a location just beyond the crater, where trees had been split in half, broken, or had even been upturned by the impact of the Eva's replacable cockpit. A team of techs were busy cutting through the Plug's thick layers of reinforced metal. A loud clang announced the completion of their task. What followed next was silence as everyone stopped what they were doing abruptly. One of the techs found the presence of mind to speak.

"Dr. Akagi..."

Ritsuko walked up to the newly-cut hole in the Plug, and looked inside. She went completely still, just as the workers before her had at the sight. She then leaned forward, her torso obscured by the darkness inside the Entry Plug. A few moments later, she came out and stood up, her face blank with shock. It took nearly a minute for her brain to start working again. "...Get me through to Commander Ikari."

* * *

In his dark office, Gendo sat silently with Fuyutsuki nearby when the phone rang. He picked it up silently. "Yes." 

"Commander Ikari, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi is on the line."

"Put her through." He waited a few moments and the doctor was patched through the NERV operator's switchboard. He could tell from the tone in her voice that whatever she had found had greatly agitated her.

"Commander Ikari, I'm calling regarding Unit-00's pilot."

"Do not report in over something that is of no concern. A spare has been prepared and is waiting on activation."

"But sir...there's no need for that--"

"...What are you saying, Akagi?" There were a few moments' pause as Ritsuko explained what the recovery team had discovered in the remnants of the Entry Plug.

"...What?..." The Commander's sudden outburst made Fuyutsuki do a double take; Ikari was not a man to be surprised by anything short of the apocalypse. Gendo took a few seconds to absorb what he had just heard, then swallowed and spoke in his steady baritone once again. "Are you absolutely certain about this?"

"Yes, I've checked four times and she's definitely--"

"Do what needs to be done, then. And do it quickly. I'd like this taken care of before Major Katsuragi arrives, so as to avoid...uncomfortable questions. This is to be classified top secret for the time being."

"Understood, Commander," Ritsuko assented as she clicked off the phone. A member of the salvage squad came up to her a moment later while two others were busy lowering something onto a stretcher.

"Dr. Akagi, extraction complete. I've hailed a VTOL-- it should be here in a few minutes."

"Good work," Ritsuko said as she walked up to the stretcher.

There lay the unconcious, yet still barely alive, body of Rei Ayanami.

* * *

A/N: DUN...DUN...DUHNNN! Another cliffhanger! From now on, this story's going to be breaking away from the established storyline. Some things will change, others will stay the same... Thanks to everyone who's reviewed the story so far! As I've said before, support of any kind can only help! 

BTW... Gendo's line to Fuyutsuki, about 'nothing ends' is "borrowed" from 'Watchmen,' one of my favorite graphic novels. If you happened to recognize it, kudos.


	5. Deuteronomy

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 5: Deuteronomy

Shinji lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. He was only barely paying attention to his SDAT, which was currently playing through Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. He raised his right hand to his face, the one he had used to hit Kaworu with only a few hours before. Somehow, the anger he had felt then, all the pain had faded, replaced by an agreeable numbness. He knew he was just running from the truth, running like he had from Misato after the battle with Shamshel, but right now he didn't care. An image of Rei crept unheeded into his mind's eye-- the smile she had given him right before she...

_No,_ he whispered to his subconscious. _I don't want to think about that._ He rolled onto his left side and closed his eyes, as if to wash the memories from his head. He felt a dull pain deep inside himself, crying for relief, but he ignored it, like all the other pain he had felt before. This wasn't any different.

_I just want to forget her..._

He didn't even notice the tears welling in his eyes as he drifted fitfully off to sleep.

* * *

Gendo, Fuyutsuki and Ritsuko stood outside the hospital's observation room. The Commander was staring through the two-way mirror at the girl with light-blue hair sleeping on the room's only bed, her breathing shallow, but even. Machines flickered and beeped on the inside, as if to provide their mutual assurance that she was indeed alive. 

"What's her status?" Fuyutsuki asked the doctor.

Ritsuko leafed through the clipboard in her hand, and finally stopped at the appropriate page. "She's finally breathing on her own, and we've detected normal brain activity. No abnormalities detected."

"...Other than the obvious, of course," Gendo finally spoke, turning to face the other two. "Dr. Akagi, I'd like to know how this could have happened."

"I don't know for sure, but there are a few theories," Ritsuko paused. "The most likely is that it had something to do with the Angel--when it made contact with Unit-00."

Fuyutsuki narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "...What do you mean, Dr. Akagi?"

"It's not an unlikely scenario, Sub-Commander. Don't forget that she survived the attack of the 9th Angel when it destroyed Unit-00's head. An injury like that would have killed anyone else, but because of her genetic make-up, she's far more resilient than a normal human being."

"Agreed, doctor. Yet what has happened here is not something as simple as a damaged Eva," Gendo coldly observed, "so elaborate, if you will."

Ritsuko collected her thoughts before continuing. "Basically, what may have happened was that when Rei made contact with the Angel, there was an 'exchange' of sorts. The psychiometric reading we took suggests that many of her memories were analysed by means of a mental connection it made with Rei, not unlike the 10th Angel with Asuka. But it seems that, instead of merely being a passive victim of the Angel's attack, Rei was able to absorb some of its power, though it seems to have been a subconscious effort."

Gendo stared at her curiously. "So you're suggesting it was..."

"...A reflex of her Angelic nature. It may have been just enough of a contact to awaken her AT Field, which would explain why she didn't have a scratch on her when we found her."

"I see. That is all, Dr. Akagi. You're dismissed," the Commander said, turning his attention back to the observation window, as though she was already gone. He didn't catch the slight indignation on her face as she turned and went down the hall, her heels clicking all the way. Fuyutsuki only turned to look at Gendo.

"Ikari... do you think it's safe for us to allow her to live?"

"...The scenario is not in danger. One less clone will not affect the outcome."

"That's not what I'm talking about. An AT Field on her own? There's no telling what else she could do if we simply ignore this."

"You heard the doctor-- it was a subconscious reflex action. All human beings can do seemingly impossible things when situations are exceedingly dire. As long as we ensure that no further stimuli affect her thusly, there will not be another incident."

"Ikari, that child is NOT a 'human being,' as you put it! Not to mention the Committee won't be happy when they hear about this..."

"SEELE won't do anything--not until the 12th Angel is taken care of. Until then, we have plenty of time."

"...You still think that you're in control of everything, don't you Gendo? You forget, the reason we're in this position now is because your 'doll' ignored your direct orders!"

"I haven't forgotten. But the mental strain of her actions may be enough to keep her in her place from now on."

The Sub-Commander gritted his teeth, knowing that to argue further would be useless. "Very well, Ikari. But don't forget that you have the organization's safety to consider as well."

Gendo didn't move as Fuyutsuki left down the hall the opposite direction of Ritsuko. The spectacled man watched his most vital tool sleep and nearly surrendered to a small pang of guilt. But he ignored it, as he had every other pain he had felt since the day Yui had died.

_The blood of 3 billion people is already on my hands... a few hundred more is just a drop in the ocean._

* * *

A few days passed. Shinji stood in the kitchen, making breakfast for Misato and himself. He was as quiet as he had been on the day of Unit-00's explosion, but he was at least coming out of his room now. His guardian sat at the table sipping her morning can of beer, watching Shinji cook with that vacant expression in his face again. It was almost as if, in the vacancy of Rei and her emotional blankness, Shinji had decided to take up the job in remembrance. He soon brought the meal over (an omelette with onion, tomato and sausage, as well as a fruit salad) and the two ate in silence. After the meal, Misato put on her coat and slipped on her shoes. 

"Well, I'm going to NERV now, Shinji."

"...Alright..."

She decided to try teasing him, just a little bit, to maybe snap him out of his gloom. "No wild parties or naughty stuff, understand?"

"...Alright..."

_Didn't even notice,_ she thought sadly as Shinji continued to stand near the door blankly. Suddenly she threw her arms around him, and his eyes widened from her unexpected assault on his personal space.

"Shinji...I know it hurts," she was half-sobbing from the frustration, although she did not cry, "but you have to be strong. I... I just want you to know I'm here if--if you need to talk..."

The boy pulled away, nearly pushing her into the door in his desperate effort to escape.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

She stared at him, too surprised by his sudden emotion to be angry. What he had done slowly sunk in, and Shinji's voice quieted.

"I...just leave me alone, Misato...I don't want to talk about it...I...I just can't."

"...I'm sorry," she said simply, her heart nearly breaking from his pain just as much as from her own helplessness. Without another word, she opened the door and left.

* * *

That evening was one of the most uncomfortable Shinji had ever spent while living with Misato. They ate in silence again; Misato didn't bother to try to break the ice, too frightened by Shinji's coldness to try again. After an hour spent watching TV (it was supposed to be a comedy, but neither of them could laugh), Shinji slipped into his room to listen to his SDAT. Misato knew he just didn't want to be near her, and she sat in front of the idiot box, drinking another beer, not even really watching the screen. She soon drained the can, and got up to toss it. She was about to open the fridge to get another one when the phone rang nearby. 

Who could that be at this time? she thought as she picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Yes, this is she..."

"...What?"

The words hit her again, but they seemed so far from possible that she stood there, holding the phone, stunned.

"...Uh, yes! Yes, of course we'll come! Just hold on!"

With that, she hung up the phone and ran to Shinji's room knocking on the door.

"Shinji! Shinji, wake up!"

The boy opened the door slowly, glaring at his guardian.

"...What?"

"Shinji, get dressed! We're going to the hospital."

He looked at her oddly. "...Go yourself. I don't care."

"Shinji, it's Rei!"

He had been closing the door, but stopped in his tracks.

"She's alive!"

She didn't need to say anything more. The boy put on a fresh change of clothes, and within minutes the two were in Misato's car, speeding carelessly to the NERV Medical Ward.


	6. Numbers

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

A/N: Thanks to everyone for all your reviews and support--it's good to know that my humble little fanfic is being enjoyed! I've been updating a lot just because I'm high on the rush of creation : ) (3 chapters in 24 hours! Jeez!) I'll try to keep it going strong though!

* * *

Chapter 6: Numbers 

It was nearly a quarter to 9:00 when Shinji and Misato found the room Rei was assigned to (3rd floor, room 325, Intensive Care Unit). It took everything Shinji had to keep from breaking the door down just to see if she really was alive--it seemed like he was dreaming and if he was, he wanted it to end quickly so that it wouldn't torture him anymore. He pushed it open as casually as he could and called her.

"Aya--" he stopped short when the first person he saw was Ritsuko. "...Oh, uh, hello."

The doctor turned around to acknowledge the presence of Unit-01's pilot and his commanding officer with a small grin. "Ahh, good. You're here, Misato."

"Well, of course I am!" she said with a tinge of indignace. "You really think I can overlook something like this?"

"Ritsuko... what's wrong with Ayanami?"

She turned her head to where Shinji's voice had come from; he had somehow walked straight past her and was now standing next to Rei, looking at her inert form with a mixture of relief and concern. The blonde's face dropped a little bit as she answered.

"Actually, that what I called you here about. She hasn't woken up yet."

"...What do you mean by 'yet?'" Misato asked with an odd look on her face.

Ritsuko turned her attention to her friend. "I mean just that-- all her injuries have healed, but she hasn't regained consciousness since she's been here."

"...But...she'll be okay, right?..."

"I don't know Shinji. At this point, it's hard to say if she'll come out of it." She nearly regretted what she said; his face seemed to fall like a brick.

"...Ritsuko...could I speak to you in the hall, please?"

The scientist turned around to see Misato gesturing toward the door, a suspiciously warm smile on her face. "I don't see why not," she turned to Shinji.

"We'll leave you two alone," she said indicating Shinji and the comatose Rei. She didn't see him narrow his eyes slightly.

_Is Ritsuko making fun of her?_ he thought defensively.

The two friends walked out of the room as Shinji continued to stand over Rei, watching her protectively.

* * *

Ritsuko let out an audible sigh, as though the tension from a busy day's work could be relieved by exhaling. "Well, do you want to get some coffee? There's a pot in the waiting room further down--" 

"How long has she been here?"

Ritsuko turned around to see a very ill-humored looking Misato glaring at her. Ritsuko immediately dropped her feeble attempt at small talk.

"Ritsuko, I'm asking you a question-- How long has Rei been in the hospital?"

"... approximately five days."

She suddenly felt Misato's hands at her collar, forcing her to raise her head, yet she did not look her friend in the eye.

"FIVE DAYS? YOU MEAN SHE'S BEEN HERE SINCE THE EXPLOSION?"

"...That would make sense,sinceshe was in a life-threatening situation."

"DON'T ACT SMART WITH ME, DR. AKAGI! I WANT TO KNOW WHY I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS WHEN IT HAPPENED! WHY THE HELLWASN'T I INFORMED!"

Ritsuko stared coldly at the woman holding her by the scruff of her coat. "You don't have the authority to know that, Major."

"'Don't have the authority!' I'm the Chief Strategic Officer--if anyone has the right to know about these children, it's me! And I damn well deserve to know why she's even alive! You told me there weren't even parts recovered from Unit-00!"

"It's simple, Major-- the Eva automatically ejected the plug just before the explosion; it was a fluke, nothing more!"

"Bullshit! There's something suspicious about all this-- and it has to do with the girl lying in that bed, I know it!"

"...Or is THAT the reason I was kept in the dark, Dr. Akagi!"

Misato sighed and, with the air of a child grown tired of playing with a certain toy, let go of Ritsuko's coat. The scientist glared at the Major, just barely concealing the venomousanger seething just beneath her composed exterior. She then straightened her jacket and walked off, leaving Misato with her thoughts.

_Rei Ayanami...just who are you, anyway? And why is the Commander making such an effort to keep everyone from knowing?..._

* * *

After a few minutes, the Major walked into the room to find Shinji sitting near Rei's bed, a folding chair taken from its place near another like it. It took him a second to notice his guardian standing in the doorway. 

"Oh...Misato, what's wrong?"

She had forgotten to get rid of the agitated look on her countenance that had developed from her conversation with Ritsuko.

"Oh, nothing," she said, forcing a smile into place. "I'm just worried about Rei, is all."

"...Oh...Yeah..."

"...Well, c'mon Shinji. We'd better get home."

Shinji suddenly snapped out of his daze and looked at Misato with an look that could only be described as disappointment.

"...What? B-but we just got here."

"I know, but...I've got the early shift tomorrow, so I want to get some sleep."

She was worried when he didn't say anything or get up.

"...Shinji?"

He was quiet for a moment as he pondered how to word his question.

"Misato...would it be all right if I stayed here?"

The woman was surprised, to say the least. The Shinji she knew may not have been what you'd call callous, but he definitely didn't go out of his way for other people.

"Shinji, you know that's not necessary... It's not like you can do anything right now, and you wouldn't get any sleep..."

"I-I know that. I wouldn't get in the way or anything, I...I just feel like I need to be here."

Misato hesitated, and before she could protest, Shinji pressed his case.

"Please, Misato...I can't leave her like this."

She looked over at the sleeping girl lying on the bed, looking so peaceful and helpless, an then at the boy standing in front of her. In his eyes, she saw it again...the look he had when he had begged the Commander to let him go and fight. Misato let out a sigh of surrender.

"All right. If you insist...but don't come crying to me when you get so tired that you can't stand straight," she said with a bit of her old mischievious tone.

"Thank you, Misato."

"You're thanking me for giving you permission to be bored out of your mind?"

To her great satisfaction, Shinji chuckled, smiling for the first time in days.

"No, really Misato... This means a lot to me."

"...I know, Shinji. I'll be coming back tomorrow, so see you then, okay?"

"All right. See you."

Shinji saw Misato still smiling as she shut the door, but as soon as she turned the corner, her frown from before returned. She didn't like the idea of leaving Shinji with this strange girl who had somehow done the impossible and cheated certain death. But she couldn't deny him the friend whose loss had crushed his fragile spirit.

"At least he's smiling now."

_Rei...you had better not leave him again. I don't know if he'd be able to take it._


	7. Wisdom

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 7: Wisdom

The silver-haired Fifth Child was able to locate Room 325 with little effort, but found actually crossing the threshold more difficult. He tentatively stepped into the room to find none other than Shinji Ikari already there, sitting with his arms atop the back of the chair, staring at the room's only other occupant.

"Hello, Shinji."

The boy turned his head around to see the victim of the only impulsive action he had made in his life. Kaworu was a bit surprised when he saw Shinji's face; it was worn more than it had been a week ago, dark bags had formed under his eyes, and he sounded as though he was half-asleep.

"...What the hell do you want?..."

He didn't sound angry, just tired, so Kaworu assumed it was safe to continue speaking.

"I came to visit the First, of course," he said with a smile. His earnestness was lost on Shinji, who thought the smile to be patronizing.

"Didn't you say that she was 'rash and foolish?'"

Yes, I admit I did," Kaworu said with a hint of humility. "...But she isn't dead, so I stand corrected."

Shinji wanted to punch Kaworu again for his 'apology,' but he barely had enough energy to raise his hand to stifle a yawn.

"...Have you really been here for the last two days, Shinji?"

He was quiet for a moment before he answered.

"...Yeah...I guess I have."

"No food or sleep?"

The teenager in the chair reached up to massage the back of his neck, trying to loosen the stiff muscles.

"Well, nothing that bad...they've got a cafeteria downstairs, and I was able to nap for a few hours yesterday..."

"You know, she probably wouldn't be happy if she knew you were losing your health over her like this," Kaworu said with the slightest hint of a grin.

Shinji had to stifle a laugh, just because he knew the other boy was right. But it faded as quickly as it came-- he wouldn't let Kaworu think for a minute they could ever be friends... not after what he had said about Rei.

"...Well, then, it's good to know my visit won't be a total waste."

Shinji looked up at Kaworu, a slight frown (whether it was in anticipation of another slight on Rei or if he was curious about what he meant, he wasn't sure) outlining his features.

"What do you mean by that?"

The current pilot of Unit-02 stopped to collect his thoughts, still smiling. "Well, the Major asked me to fill in for you, so that you could get some rest."

The boy only stared silently at Kaworu, pondering what he had just heard. He knew Misato had only meant him good by sending Kaworu to maintain his vigil, but he somehow didn't like the idea of leaving Rei alone with him. He felt it again-- the odd tremor in the pit of his stomach when he had first met the Fifth Child. It felt a little like when he had first met Rei, but unlike her, his initial impression of alienation had not gone away, rather it had intensified over time, and was especially obvious now.

"...Do I have to?"

Kaworu looked surprised at Shinji's hesitation.

"Well...she didn't say you were **required** to, but I assumed that you would not reject the opportunity to sleep."

Shinji let out a sigh. He couldn't deny that he was tired, but his own health wasn't what was important to him at the moment.

"Sorry, Nagisa-kun...but I'm staying here until she wakes up."

"You are aware, Third Child, that that day may never come?"

The boy looked shaken at what Kaworu had said; the Fifth flinched slightly, wondering if Shinji was going to punch him again, but he simply sighed again, letting his frustration out in a single breath.

"...If that's the case...then I **should** be the one here."

Kaworu narrowed his red eyes ever so slightly.

"Shinji, are you here because you feel responsible for what happened?"

Shinji was quiet again, thinking about that question, which he had been asking himself practically the whole time: _Why was he still here?_

"...Well...I guess it's partly that, but..."

"Then what is the other reason?"

The answer came not from Shinji's voice, but by what he did next. The Third Child turned his face away from Kaworu to look at the First, but the red-eyed boy just barely caught a glimpse of the look on Shinji's face. It was a strange expression, at once concern and pain and desperation and longing at the same time. Kaworu didn't really understand the emotion (though he was familiar with it), but a look of comprehension dawned on his pale features.

"Hmm... Well, then Shinji--" the boy snapped back to reality; he almost looked like he had forgotten Kaworu was there, "--since my efforts have proven fruitless, I will now take my leave." He smiled again (Shinji cringed, this odd teenager was really getting to him) and prepared to head out the door.

"...Nagisa-kun?"

Kaworu stopped with the door halfway open, he turned around to face Shinji, who was looking at the wall.

"...I'm sorry for hitting you. I got...carried away."

Kaworu's eyes widened in surprise, but he knew that Shinji wasn't actually trying to make up with him-- that was just the way he was. He instictively smiled again.

"...It's not a problem, Shinji. My words were, well...more than a little unneccessary." With that, he left the room.

The Fifth walked away, still smiling. He had spent the last week wondering why Shinji had acted so impulsively over what he had said a week ago, but the look on the boy's face he had just seen spoke volumes. He pondered over his mission. It had been difficult to report to SEELE that he had made no progress towards gaining the Third Child's trust, but with this new bit of knowledge in hand, he might be able to alter the situation in order gain the Committee's desired outcome.


	8. Corinthians I

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

A/N: Introspection ahead! Tread with caution!

Chapter 8: Corinthians I

Night was settling on Tokyo-3, the sun's warm light gradually fading from its brilliant white to a thousand shades of amber and crimson. To anyone watching it, it would have been seen as a brilliant display of cosmic beauty, yet Shinji didn't even take notice of it. His thoughts were focused on his conversation with the Fifth Child.

"Why AM I still here?"

He knew he was being stupid. He'd been sitting here, without rest and the bare minimum--and for what? It's not like she knows I'm here. Anyone with some degree of sense would have at least gone home by now.

Shinji unconciously turned his attention to the girl lying in the bed. She was the picture of composure, even in a coma. He couldn't even hear her breathing, but saw a small lock of her hair tremble slightly every few seconds. It was nearly five minutes before he realized he'd been staring mesmerized by those loose strands of icy-colored hair, and blinked his eyes to snap himself out of it.

_I must be more tired than I thought._

He chewed slowly on the sandwich he'd brought from the cafeteria, barely tasting the turkey (which he would have noticed was better than average hospital food), his mind wandering unheeded to the day of the explosion. It was only a week ago, but now it seemed like forever. Part of the reason he didn't mind not sleeping was because he didn't want to deal with the possibility that all this was just a figment of his imagination. If Rei really was dead...

_...Wait..._

"Why do I keep thinking things like that?..."

_I must just be worried, but... is that really all?_

He threw the remains of his sandwich into the nearby trash can, and resumed his seat right next to the bed. He hadn't really taken the time to notice before, but now (maybe it was from being around her so long) he found himself looking at her for long stretches of time. He'd suddenly snap out of his trance after a few minutes and turn his attention elsewhere, only to find his eyes on Rei again. It felt strangely calming to watch her sleep...It was a peace he hadn't really felt in his life before, at least not that he could remember. Maybe that was why he kept sitting in that hospital chair, otherwise numb out of his mind from boredom. He never became aware of himself drifting in and out of consciousness, until sleep finally overtook him and his head fell gently on the soft mattress.

* * *

He awoke a few hours later, his breathing labored and his head lying on a damp part of the sheet that had absorbed his sweat. He'd had the nightmare again, the one where Rei had... wait... it wasn't a dream... He'd been afraid to fall asleep since he'd recalled it in his sleep the night after. But instead of the whole battle, the nightmare had consisted mainly of Rei smiling, then pulling the switch... he'd watched it over and over again until he'd nearly snapped... 

Shinji raised his hand to wipe off the perspiration from his forehead, but stopped when his fingertips came across a bead of warm liquid running down his face. He hesitated, then tentatively wiped it onto his hand and stared at it by the moonlight filtering through the blinds.

Tears...

He looked at the salty drop, then felt another fall from his face and land on his palm, slowly coagulating with its predecessor.

"A-am I crying for Ayanami...? But...why?"

He tried to assure himself that what had happened was gone, that it wasn't important anymore, but the image kept popping up in his mind. He tried to stem the flow of tears from his eyes, but they kept falling, ceaseless in their silent journey down his face.

"It...it won't stop..." he whispered into the silence, as though it contained a being capable of repairing the wall in his heart, that had stood strong for his whole life and now seemed to be collapsing from the deep cracks that had formed in the foundation. Suddenly the pain he felt at that fateful moment, when the flash of the blast had faded to reveal that Unit-00 was no longer there, returned, finding the opportunity it had awaited for a week to surface.

It was the shock that Rei was gone. The one person he had believed would always be there, the strongest of all his supports, the only real friend he'd ever had, vanished...along with a piece of his soul that he never realized she'd had the opportunity to claim for herself. The pain refused to retreat now-- nothing short of the apocalyse would prevent it from letting its full strength crush the numbness Shinji had created to stop himself from acknowledging the truth.

But she was here now. She wasn't gone. It seemed as though God himself had intervened with man for the first time in millenia-- not to overthrow an empire or prevent world war, but to bring a weak boy the only person he could truly let inside his heart.

He stared at Rei, his brow furrowed from what was overwhelming his very soul. He slowly reached for her hand and brought it close, the back of her delicate hand resting on his forehead as he held it in both his own. It felt warm even as his tears fell onto it. He suddenly understood why he had stayed for the last two days nonstop. Why he had felt dead for the better part of a week.

It was because she still held that piece of himself. A part that he realized was meant for her alone.

But he didn't want that back now. He needed something far more precious than that now.

_Ayanami..._ He'd never prayed before--not once in his life-- but he'd do it now-- for her and only for her.

_Please come back..._

_...Please don't leave me..._

A/N: Whew... this was a difficult chapter for me to write--I only hope it wasn't too WAFFy. There was a scene in the manga that I really liked, where Rei prayed for Shinji's return from the Eva after the battle with the 9th Angel, so I wanted to have Shinji in a similar situation-- both to make up for his blankness for the majority of the story so far and because it pissed me off that he didn't show ANYTHING regarding her sacrifice in the anime. I know you don't wanna face it Shinji, but COME ON! Even if he didn't like her, she was his friend for christ's sake! She at least deserved a little crying on his part; it's not like he didn't cry for lesser stuff!...Sorry, I'm rambling now...: )


	9. Corinthians II

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

A/N: To prevent you from being confused, allow me a second to explain what's going on in this chapter: These are Rei's thoughts while in her coma. Ok, read on.

Chapter 9: Corinthians II

_Am I dead?..._

Rei couldn't tell--not from wherever she was right now. The last thing she remembered was Shinji's face, then pulling the self-destruct lever--after that, she had awoken in this strange place.

It reminded her vaguely of photos she had once seen of Gothic cathedrals, the kind with the tall towers and sharp curves that had been destroyed in many countries by the effects of Second Impact. She could somewhat identify the blurry shapes of the 'building's' construction, but it shifted constantly, as did her state of being: she'd fade into this state of consciousness and feel like she was drifting aimlessly, then fade out for a period, then gradually drift in again, but have her feet planted firmly on the 'ground.'

She was in one such state when she came across a figure about her height and age. Rei walked up to the person, who didn't turn around despite the echoing of her own footsteps.

"Excuse me."

The figure slowly turned its head...and Rei found herself looking at what had to be a mirror image. It looked exactly like her.

"...Who are you?"

The mirror image smiled coldly at Rei, who suddenly recalled what she had seen while the 11th Angel had invaded her.

"Are you..."

_...The Angel?_ The mirror-Rei finally spoke, its voice and tone mimicking the real Ayanami with precision.

_...No. I am not something as strong as that._

"What are you doing here?..." the crimson-eyed girl asked her twin curiously.

The mirror-Rei suddenly pouted, as though greatly offended by something she had been asked.

_Rei, dear...don't you recognize me?_

Her words were met with a confused silence.

_...After being together for fourteen years, you insist on feigning ignorance._ The doppelganger sighed exasperatedly, then the grin returned.

_I am the darkness that has resided within the pit of your soul for your entire life. And..._

_...I am the reason that you are not dead._

* * *

"...Within my soul?" 

_Yes. You are aware, of course that your...conception...was not the result of 'natural human reproduction,' correct?_

Rei nodded. She remembered every single day she had spent in the space deep below NERV that could only generously be called 'livable,' how the Commander had never let her forget for a second that she was not human, and barely deserved to be treated as such...

_Oh, I'm sorry... have I reminded you of something painful? A memory of the past, perhaps?..._

Rei looked up at her twin in surprise. How could this thing have...

_...known what you were thinking?_

The doppelganger allowed itself a contented grin as it stared coldly at the confused Rei.

_We are in your consciousness now, Rei. It may be your mind, but not a one of your thoughts is able to escape my scrutiny. We are bound together-- a symbiotic relationship, as it were._

Rei's eyes narrowed. If this was a mutually beneficial connection, she had yet to see the benefits.

_...In any case..._ the doppelganger continued, ignoring it's host's current train of thought,

_There were two sets of very different genetic data employed in your birth. I am the subconscious amalgamation of the stronger, more numerous threads employed._

Rei took a moment to absorb what she had been told.

"...So you are an Angel, then."

_...Not quite. Until the previous made contact with you, I was unable to attain sentience. Thanks to that though, I became strong enough to become self-aware...and as a sign of my gratitude, I allowed you to live. Did you truly think that all the times your life was in danger before, that you survived on your own?_

* * *

"...How can that be, though?" Rei asked her twin accusingly. "You yourself asserted that you only became self-aware as a result of the 11th Angel's attack." 

_Dire circumstances breed necessity, Rei. I was not able to establish an AT Field, as I had recently, but you must be aware that Angels are naturally far stronger than humans. Over time, my ability to heal rapidly, so as to prevent death, became more pronounced as you continued to place yourself in danger._

Rei didn't want to believe it, but upon serious consideration, she had no choice but to admit the being was correct.

She remembered the first Unit-00 activation. Not only had she been hurt when the Eva broke free of its moorings, but the Entry Plug had ejected in that small room, her body being tossed around as the Plug collided with the walls and ceiling. Not to mention the long fall to the ground when the emergency jets ran out of fuel. She should have been dead, or close to it at least.

Yet she managed to walk away from the accident alive, her only visible injuries being a broken arm and a damaged eye, and even that had healed. Most of the doctors had said that it was a 'miracle.'

_As though God would protect one as replaceable as me,_ she remembered thinking.

The fight with the 8th Angel also faded into view. Her Eva's arm had been remotely cut by the Commander to prevent infection from the possessed Unit-03. Though there was no physical damage, the nerve feedback was at full capacity, meaning she should have spent a few days in the hospital recovering from shock. Yet upon recovery, she was found to be completely undisturbed mentally.

The 9th Angel had split her Eva's head in two_and_ severed the arm that was still intact-- the only sign she had even been in battle was a bandage over the eye she had injured before, and within days she had perfect eyesight again.

_Yes, Rei. I've been watching over you all this time, making sure you didn't die. Your 'father' wouldn't have allowed it._

* * *

"...The Commander?..." 

_Don't get the wrong idea. I had my own survival to consider. He isn't even aware of my presence._

Rei stared angrily at her twin for a moment. Then she turned on her heel and prepared to walk away.

_...Where are you going?_

"I have stayed here long enough. It is time for me to return."

_Return to where? You don't know how to get back to the waking world from here, Rei._

"Perhaps. But I must find it. There is still much I am required for."

The doppelganger uttered a laugh, one that lacked mirth and reeked of twisted satisfaction.

_You continue, even now, to assume that your 'purpose' is the reason you desire to return? You yourself said that you could be replaced if you died._

"But I am not dead. At least not yet."

_...Or do you wish to see **him** again?_

Rei stopped in her tracks. It was the truth and she knew it. But... at the same time... she didn't want to face Shinji again. She'd been so certain that she would die...

Suddenly Rei felt the embrace of frigid, slender arms around her body, the proximity making her aware of her own coldness.

_It's all right, Rei... You don't have to face the possibility of pain...of having emotions...that's what scares you... isn't it?_

Rei didn't answer. The doppelganger knew that it had hit the proper mark as its host slowly dropped to her knees, uncertainty clutching at her so swiftly she could barely react. She felt numb-- as numb and dead as she had felt for her whole life, until...

_Don't think about him. It'll only bring you pain. But if you go down that path--_ Rei's twin pointed to an even darker hallway that had materialized out of nowhere-- _You'll never have to feel anything again. That's what you want... correct?_

Rei's only response was to stand up. The light that had been there moments earlier had faded, giving her a distinct resemblance to a prisoner on death row.

Just as she had felt before.

It seemed fitting as she slowly let her feet move toward the indicated hallway, into the heart of darkness.

A/N: Don't worry-- Rei's coming back next chapter! How, I'm not going to say... Well, that's my longest chapter yet-- I was planning to make this and the next chapter a single one, but I needed some time to collect myself, plus this one was getting too damn long : ) Please look forward to it!


	10. Canticles

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 10: Canticles

After what felt like days, the hallway finally ended. Rei found herself in front of a plain door, visible only by the light seeping in through the cracks in the frame. She stood staring at the door for a long while, contemplating it and what it would mean to enter.

_If I go through this door..._

She could hear the wind whistling beyond the threshold. The vast oblivion that she knew lay endless ahead of her. She walked closer and placed her hand on the knob.

Yet her body refused to open the door. It was strange: she had spent so much time praying for this, for the moment when the Commander would finally allow her to return to the emptiness she had been created from, but now... something held her back. The image of Shinji drifted unheeded into her mind.

_No._

She couldn't be with him. It had been just a dream, a wish that she had blindly put her faith in, like she had with his father. He would never want her. Not when she wasn't even human. She hated herself for letting him think that she had...value.

_This is for the best..._ She slowly closed her eyes, braced for the inevitable, and turned the knob...

...Only to feel the handle forced out of her hand and hear the door shut.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Rei opened her eyes at the unfamiliar voice, strangely kind and warm in such a dark place, and saw a woman standing with her hand on the door. What was odd about her was that her form was vague and blurry, like she was from a photo taken by an out-of-focus camera. Rei's initial shock faded as she made to pass the woman, who continued to prevent her from entering.

"...Why are you so eager to go through?"

Rei didn't look at her, only at the door, focused entirely on getting inside.

"Because I must."

The woman chuckled wryly-- but it wasn't like the doppelganger's twisted mirth, it was the kind that made other people break out into laughter...Rei wasn't one of those 'other people' though, as anyone who knew her could attest to.

"You're just a child, though. Are you really so eager to give up on living?"

"Living is not something that I was created to do--thus, I feel no shame in abandoning it."

The woman continued to smile, but her countenance bore a new melancholy to it.

"...You're lying."

Two simple words was all it took to make the blue-haired girl freeze in place. Seeing that her companion was in no hurry now to move, the woman continued.

"If you truly wished to die, you wouldn't have hesitated so long. You wouldn't even have come here-- the fact that you are even in this place means that you still wish to exist. I should know-- I passed through this place myself."

Rei normally didn't invest an interest in others, yet there was something familiar about this woman... something that made her feel...a connection.

"...What happened to you, then...?" she asked.

The woman didn't answer her question. She simply looked at the girl sadly with her brown eyes.

"Rei, do you truly wish to abandon this world?"

If Rei had been confused before, she was utterly bewildered now--something she was not accustomed to being.

"...How do you know my name?"

"I know you very well, Rei Ayanami... I know the reason why you are afraid to return...it's the same reason why you want to go back more than anything else."

Rei was silent. Then, as if out of nowhere, she buried her face into her hands. When she spoke, it came out in jagged breaths, her whole body shaking, trying desperately to not break down and cry.

"I...I can't see him again... I--I'm not... not..."

"'...Not human,' is that what you were going to say?"

Ayanami looked up to find the woman standing right in front of her, a warm smile on her face.

"Rei... do you believe that your life is worthless?"

"...I..."

She didn't know what to say, no one had ever asked her if she considered herself important.

"I...the Commander told me that--"

"I'm not asking you what anyone else said," the woman didn't sound angry, it was more the tone of a mother gently trying to make her child understand a simple truth of the world.

"I'm asking_ you_...Do you believe that you are nothing?"

Before Shinji had come into her life, she would have not hesitated to answer in the affirmative. But now...

...The way Shinji had treated her... he'd been so kind... he'd never asked anything of her, nor did he expect anything in return. He may not have been the strongest or most secure person in the world, but he was not an idiot, as Asuka had called him so many times before... She couldn't believe that he would give so freely of himself for someone who was simply disposable... So she'd started to believe that, maybe, the things the Commander had told her were wrong...

"...No."

"...Why?"

"...Because...Shinji made me believe...that I was a person."

"Then what does it matter?"

Rei was shocked to find herself in a warm, comforting hug. She wanted to resist at first, purely on reflex, but... the woman's kind voice washed over her, making her feel small-- almost like a little girl...

"Rei... you can't doubt yourself. You're a much stronger person than you think. And there is someone who you need, isn't there? Someone who you want to be with more than anything?"

Rei trembled silently in the woman's gentle arms. The voice inside her heart, weak from underuse, let the truth tumble forth in what was barely a whisper:

"...Yes."

"...He needs you every bit as much as you need him. If he made you attached to life enough to come to this place... how can you abandon that life... as if nothing happened?..."

Suddenly she felt something strange... an odd tingling sensation was flowing through her right hand. It felt so warm, in contrast to her frigid body. The woman smiled again, but this time it was one of pride and utter joy.

"...He's calling you, Rei. You aren't alone. Did you think that he would abandon you?"

A look of surprise, mingled with ecstacy brightened the pale girl's features. _I...I'm not alone...? He stayed..._

_With me..._

Suddenly, the light returned to Rei's eyes. The spark that had been ignited so many months ago within herself burned anew, and she suddenly saw a shaft of light breaking through the darkness around her.

_Shinji..._

_I won't abandon him. I must go back._

_I want to go back... for him..._

Rei prepared to step into the light when she felt the woman's hand on her face. She turned her head and this time, the woman's form became clear. She was about a head taller than Rei, wearing a long white coat and had brown eyes, with a mop of milk chocolate-colored hair that hung chaotically about her face...

"I had hoped... that my Shinji would find a special girl. I'm glad...my son was able to meet you."

Suddenly comprehension dawned on Rei. She stared at the woman and realized who she had been speaking to all this time. She tried to reach out her hand, but she felt herself getting pulled farther and farther away, into the vast warm light.

_Yui... Ikari..._

* * *

Shinji sat near the bed, holding Rei's hand and crying into it, fervently praying, when he thought he felt it move against his forehead. He raised his face to the sleeping girl next to him. 

_I must just be imagining things._

Yet the hand moved again, and Shinji let it drop to the bed in shock, his eyes widening as the rest of the body slowly followed the hand's lead, beginning to stir. He watched Rei's face as her eyelids tentatively opened and she blinked like someone who has lived in a cave, not seeing the light of day for years. With a tremendous effort, she pushed against the bed, raising her upper body so that it was perpendicular to the ground. She yawned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, as though she had merely been taking a nap as opposed to having been in a week-long coma. Her crimson orbs focused on the shocked looking boy sitting next to her as he came into focus.

"...Ikari."

When he said nothing, only continued to stare with that stunned look on his face, Rei's own features softened slightly, giving her a concerned look.

"Ikari, what's wr--"

Before she could finish her sentence, Shinji had thrown his arms (and half his body weight) across the bed to its occupant, enveloping her tightly in a strong bearhug. Her surprised visage was supported by Shinji's shoulder, and she heard him continue to cry softly while he spoke.

"...Ayanami...Oh, thank God...Thank God..."

"...Ikari..."

"Oh dear God, Rei...I...I thought you would never...never wake up...I was...so scared..."

"...Ikari..."

"Dont--don't you EVER do something like this again...Okay? Oh, thank God you're back... Thank God..."

"...Ikari..."

"...What?"

"...You're hurting me."

Shinji opened his eyes and realized, to his utter surprise, that he was crushing Rei with the death grip he had on her body and that her arms were pinned to their sides helplessly. He went as red as a human being could possibly get, then quickly released her and resumed his seat nearby.

"Uh...s-sorry."

Rei simply watched as his arms left from their place around her a bit sadly.

I didn't say you had to let go...

Shinji sat there for a moment, staring out the window, his face still a little flushed.

"Ayanami..."

Rei turned her head to stare at Shinji, who had his blue orbs locked on her face. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and the flustered Shinji shifted his attention to the floor.

"I...I'm glad you're all right...Really glad."

Rei's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Then she felt her face break into a smile as her hand reached for Shinji's entirely of its own accord. The shy boy flinched, but did not move his hand from its place near Rei's.

"Ikari...Thank you."

"...For what?"

Rei simply continued to smile at him, her heart lighter than it had ever been in her life.

A/N: Yay! She's back! Now that Rei and Shinji are back together, I'll try to keep the WAFF to a bare minimum-- their relationship in the series is sweet and moving in its understatedness and simplicity, so I'm trying to keep the spirit of that maintained--anyone looking for fluff shouldn't bother reading this anymore. Thanks to all the people who have supported this story-- You're the reason why I'm so motivated to write this!


	11. Exodus

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 11: Exodus

Gendo sat at his desk within the vast office, looking through a folder Dr. Akagi had given him a few hours ago. The various medical forms could have easily been compiled into a single note that said Rei was awake and doing fine, but hospitals were primarily beauracracies these days. Gendo could empathize; most of NERV's dealings with the U.N. consisted of confusing red tape that usually left each nation's representatives willing to cooperate with him. Yet now he was facing the opposite edge of this particular two-sided sword. Nearby Fuyutsuki was looking out the glass observation window at the Geo-Front, quietly observing the slow crawl of the distant monorails as they made their way back and forth from the surface, which lay atop nearly two dozen layers of reinforced armor plating.

A knock on the door at precisely 10:00 AM interrupted the Commander's thoughts.

"Enter."

Rei opened the door, then silently made her way across the room, promptly finding herself a few feet away from the front of the desk. She stood silently at attention, waiting for him to speak.

"...Are you feeling well, Rei?"

"Yes."

Gendo stared at her silently, as if expecting her to continue-- she was as stoic and cold as ever. At least, that was how it seemed.

"...I understand that you recently requested to be transferred to the Katsuragi household."

He pulled out the pink change-of-address forms from their place in a large stack of invoices and memos.

"Correct. I have spoken to the Major and she has indicated that she would be quite pleased if I were to take residence in light of Pilot Sorhyu's absence."

"I see..." he turned his eyes to the flawlessly written request in his hand as if checking it, but his thoughts were on another question.

"...May I ask what prompted this request?"

The Commander thought, for a brief moment, that he saw Rei's eyes shift downward, as if she was nervous, but when he blinked she looked the same as before.

_A trick of the eyes, perhaps?_

"...I desire to be closer to headquarters. I would have filed this request earlier, but Pilot Sorhyu moved in shortly after the possibility occured to me. I did not wish to be a burden to the Major, so I was initially hesitant when she volunteered the possibility to me. I cannot deny that it would be most convenient for me, however..."

Gendo continued to lock his piercing eyes on Rei, as if to forcibly extract information from her. The girl was immune to his intimidation, though, so she continued to stand passively before him.

"...Do as you wish in this matter. You may leave now, Rei."

"Yes, sir."

The girl turned on her heel and walked out the door, never looking back once. Gendo was surprised; he had gotten used to Rei's attempts to solicit his attention or compassion, yet she had treated him with all but indifference. On reflection, her behavior was not surprising, considering what he was watching on the closed circuit at this moment.

Within minutes, Rei had entered a hallway occupied by Shinji, who was leaning against the wall, as if waiting for something. When he saw her, he immediately stood up straight, and got in step right beside Rei as she walked on. They didn't say a word, but Gendo could tell that Rei's moving request was for more than the sake of 'convenience.' Fuyutsuki suddenly broke the silence.

"Is it wise allowing them to be...close, Gendo?"

Kouzou's former student (in what seemed to be his natural behavior pattern when spoken to by others) ignored him, his attention focused on his son walking beside Rei with what was the closest thing to 'happy' he had ever seen written all over his face.

"...Perhaps not. But for the time being, anything either of them do will not affect the scenario. This will not last."

Fuyutsuki looked angrily at Gendo. His certainty about the infallibility of his 'scenario' was truly becoming frustrating.

"...In any case..." the Sub-Commander leaned closer to his superior officer, trying to put as much importance as he could into what he was saying, "...The fact that Rei is even ALIVE has already got SEELE up in arms."

Gendo chuckled darkly.

"Have those old men nothing better to do than complain?"

"Ikari, perhaps you don't understand the severity of this. They want Rei brought in for interrogation. If they find out about her, then--"

"There is no need for concern. I've given them something else to look at."

* * *

When Ritsuko opened her eyes, she thought for a moment that she was still asleep--all around her was darkness, almost like she was in a black hole made tangible. She blindly pushed herself up from the ground and managed to get to her feet. Before she could move, a massive black shape appeared in midair; a monolith that was illuminated by a rectangle of light that was built into the cold steel ground she stood on.

**"Greetings, Doctor Ritsuko Akagi."**

Suddenly she remembered it... she had been at home, changing, when she'd heard something behind her... before she could turn around she had a hand upon her face and was choking on the sickening taste and smell of chloroform...

It was then she realized she was still completely naked. She made no effort to cover herself; what good would it do, after all? Another monolith appeared outside her peripheral vision, followed by two more, and within seconds there were twelve identical holograms situated in a circle around her, speaking at various intervals.

**"We apologize for this...sudden visit."**

**"...But we needed to speak with you at our convenience."**

**"This must be...quite an embaressing situation for you, Doctor."**

Ritsuko had forgotten about her nudity, her anger overwhelming her modesty.

"I don't feel ashamed. And your attempts to intimidate me are pointless--you won't get anything out of me."

One of the monoliths allowed a snicker to pass from the speaker's mouth.

**"She's a strong woman--I can see why Ikari wants to keep her next to him."**

Ritsuko was just barely able to hide her surprise.

_How did they know about...Gendo and..._

**"--However,"** another hologram began to speak,** "...Are you aware that the person who is responsible for your current predicament is none other than Gendo Ikari?"**

**"He sent you here--in place of the First Child."**

This time, the doctor's shock was apparent to all twelve members of SEELE. The crushed look on her face made it clear they had hit the proper nerve.

**"Now, doctor...there are some things that we require... information on."**

* * *

Nearly two hours later, the twelve monoliths began to speak in the absence of Ritsuko.

**"Should we have allowed her to leave so easily?"**

**"Don't worry--she still possesses some value. She is not as easy to discard as long as Ikari remains sitting on his throne."**

**"A throne of such power-- It was foolish now to have ever entrusted NERV to such a man."**

**"Indeed-- first his son, now the Pilot of Unit-00... Ikari has gained hold of too many vital pieces."**

**"For Gendo's doll to have been created from such a dangerous heritage..."**

**"...And for it to have manifested itself in such a way..."**

**"We cannot allow another human to gain the power of the Angels."**

**"There are meant to be only twelve-- as prophecised in the Dead Sea Scrolls."**

**"The situation has strayed too far from our original scenario."**

**"How could you have allowed this to happen...Tabris?"**

Kaworu suddenly raised his head from its focus on the ground at the sound of his true name. He glared indignantly at the monolith that had spoken.

**"If you had prevented the explosion of Unit-00, this situation would never have come to light."**

**"We are beginning to wonder if you are truly willing to cooperate with us."**

"...While I admit that I could easily have destroyed the 11th..." Kaworu said calmly, his smile still in place, "Don't you agree that it would have caused...questions?"

The twelve were silent as Kaworu continued his explanation.

"The situation as it exists now is indeed regrettable...but not beyond correction. I chose to maintain the secrecy of my identity from NERV in exchange for a minor setback."

**"Excuses...It's as though Ikari himself was here."**

**"The First Child and the Third are now in possession of strength that could undermine the very foundation of our plans thus far."**

**"And the connection between the two could prevent the son of Ikari from achieving the required mindset for our Instrumentality to occur."**

Kaworu allowed himself a grim chuckle.

"Human connections are only as strong as the people who support them; I have learned that much from my brief interactions with them. Though the two Children are undoubtedly bound by a strong force, they themselves are weak. At this point, both are just 'waiting for the other shoe to drop,' as they say.

He smiled coldly at where Ritsuko had stood just a few minutes ago.

"...Others can be used as needed. If I act quickly, the proper path will be recovered without incident."

* * *

Ritsuko sat on the bed in her room, her eyes distant. The room looked exactly like it had when she had been abducted... there was a reason SEELE had remained a secret society for so long. It took some time for the full impact of the last few hours to hit her.

She had told them everything. About Rei, why she was alive, what Gendo was planning; she had left no detail of her own knowledge unsurrendered. Yet she didn't feel guilt. Or shame. Or even sadness. She felt something sticking in her throat as her eyes fell on a photo of herself, her mother, Yui Ikari, and Gendo. Trembling she picked it up from the nearby nightstand and stared at it.

_He...abandoned me..._

_For that...that..._

With a single fluid movement she threw the photograph at the opposite wall with all her might, tears struggling to escape her eyes as the frame made contact with the plaster barrier and was followed closely by the sound of smashing glass. She lay on her back, a complete wreck, her face buried in her hands as years of bitterness towards a single 'person' came out in a handful of venomously uttered words.

"That...bitch..."

And for what may have been the first time in her life, she cried herself to sleep.


	12. Joshua

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 12: Joshua

Shinji stood leaning beside the wall, patiently waiting for Rei. To tell the truth, he was a little surprised when, the day after she had woken up, Misato had asked her to stay with Shinji and herself. Not that he minded at all, of course; it was just that she was so different from Rei that he had gotten the impression they didn't really get along. He was jerked out of his thoughts as the blue-haired girl turned a corner further down the hall and gradually made her way toward him. As she got closer, her stoic face softened just a little-- her expression was still the same, but it seemed to convey a quiet acknowledgement as opposed to cold indifference. Their eyes locked again as she walked, and Shinji fell into step beside her.

Neither of them had mentioned what had happened in the hospital that night--to an extent, it didn't seem real. Both seemed to be aware that something between them was different, however. Sometimes Shinji's eyes would linger on Rei for just a moment longer than necessary, and Rei would indulge in the occasional glance in his direction while he was safely looking the other way. Other than that, they continued to act friendly towards each other as they had before and Shinji was going out of his way to spend time with Rei whenever possible. Since he wasn't going to school anymore, that basically meant he hadn't left Rei's side since she had woken up two days ago.

"So, uh... what did the Commander say?" He hadn't been sure if his father would be willing to allow Rei to move in with them-- he had made her live alone in that dingy apartment for most of her life, after all.

"...He said the decision was up to me."

"...Oh... I see... and uh, ARE you coming to stay with m-- uh, Misato and I?"

Rei turned her head to look at him. Did he really think that she didn't want to come?

"...Of course, Ikari-kun."

He seemed to brighten slightly when she said this, which puzzled her but she said nothing regarding it.

* * *

They were standing outside NERV headquarters for about a minute before a streak of dark blue came barrelling down the street and fishtailed to a stop a foot in front of Shinji. He barely moved but Rei's eyes nearly popped out of her head; she had heard rumors of Major Katsuragi's driving abilities from Asuka but had ignored them as mere exaggeration-- now, she admitted that even the Second Child could be right from time to time.

Shinji opened the door to the backseat without a second thought, but turned around to notice Rei still glued to her spot on the sidewalk.

"Ayanami?"

"...Are you certain... this vehicle is entirely safe?" she asked with a degree of trepidation in her voice, something that caught Shinji by surprise.

"Oh, that...Don't worry, Misato may be a bad driver, but she hasn't gotten in any accidents (at least, I don't think so)...

She still looked uncertain, but took a breath and moved to the door nearest her.

"I trust you, Ikari-kun."

With that she occupied the space near Shinji.

"...So, I'm a bad driver, am I?"

The Major looked over her shoulder at the timid boy sitting behind and to the left of her. She sounded angry, but her face soon broke out into a playful grin when her ward was left stuttering for an apology.

"I'm only kidding, Shinji-- sheesh, would it kill you to relax for once?"

She turned her attention to the pale girl sitting right behind her.

"So, what's the good word? Are you coming to stay with us, Rei?"

"...Yes, Major Katsuragi."

Rei nearly jumped out of her seat as Misato let out a loud whoop. Without warning, she slammed on the gas and sped off, leaving dust and small chunks of asphault in her wake. Shinji cringed as though he knew what was coming.

"AALLL RIIGHT! A NEW ROOMIE-- THAT MEANS IT'S TIME TO PARTAYYY!"

"...Don't you mean 'time to get wasted?' Oh, wait... You do that every other weekend don't you?" Shinji said with a slight hint of sarcasm.

Misato turned around to glare at Shinji (which made Rei unconciously grip the side of her seat), then broke into a satisfied laugh.

"Well, it's nice to see that SOMEBODY'S back to normal!"

Rei looked at the Major curiously, wondering what she meant. At the moment though, she could live without knowing-- she got the ominous feeling that to distract the Major further would only result in her own untimely demise.

* * *

After about an hour, they finally arrived at Misato's apartment complex, all three of them weighed down with groceries (mostly of the alcoholic variety, of course). Shinji had told Misato repeatedly that to continue drinking at the rate she did wasn't healthy for anyone, but she always ignored him, dismissing his comments as 'prudish.'

"Ah, good-- the movers already brought your stuff, Rei."

She used her free foot to indicate a pair of cardboard boxes by the door, containing all of Rei's earthly possessions. Shinji thought it was a little sad that she barely had enough to fill the trunk of a small car, but then again, it wasn't really like her to have attachments to physical things. As they carried their purchases to the kitchen, a foot-tall blur of black-and-white came running from a panel in what looked like a refrigeratior. Rei dropped her bags in shock, wondering what was attacking Misato's leg.

"Hi, Pen-Pen! Are you hungry?" the Major smiled happily at what Rei could tell on closer inspection to be a small flightless waterfowl, commonly known as a 'penguin.'

"...'Pen-Pen?'" the red-eyed girl questioned as she stared at the very out-of-place animal. Shinji, after setting down his bags on the table, offered her an explanation.

"...Oh, that's Misato's pet. She said it's some sort of 'hot springs' penguin, so he can live in places like this without any problem."

"...I see."

In fact, Rei was very confused-- what kind of woman buys enough beer for a wedding reception at the blink of an eye AND has a penguin, of all things, living in her household? She was starting to regret coming here...

After they had managed to sort the groceries (Misato was willing to leave them where they were, but Shinji forced her to cooperate by holding her beer hostage with threat of a five-story drop out the window), Shinji got an iron wok out of the cabinet and started to chop up vegetables on the counter. He didn't notice Rei standing near him until her hand reached past his arm to pick up one of the bell peppers. He froze at the light contact of her arm touching his-- it almost felt like he'd gotten a shock of static electricity. He felt a little disappointed when she moved back across the counter.

"A-Ayanami? What are you doing?"

She looked at him as though it should have been obvious.

"...I am helping you, Ikari-kun."

"Oh, no-- you don't have to do that..."

"... But I am staying here now. Should I not make an effort to aid my fellow residents when possible?"

"Ayanami..." he gently put a hand on her shoulder-- "...You only just got here. You should relax a little until dinner-- I'm sure you're tired anyway."

Rei had to admit she was tired-- but Shinji's warm hand was making her tense...

"...But if not me, than shouldn't Major Katsuragi help y--"

She stopped as Shinji's face suddenly went grim.

"Trust me, Rei-- we're both better off if Misato doesn't come anywhere NEAR the kitchen right now. Just let me do this-- I like to cook anyway."

At that, she nodded, leaving Shinji to finish the dinner, feeling a little guilty.

* * *

Within a half hour, Shinji called the girls in for dinner. Rei was surprised to see that Shinji had remembered her distaste for meat-- he had set out a colorful array of stir-fried vegetables with steamed white rice and chinese egg rolls.

"Hooray! I haven't seen a feast like this out of you for a while, Shinji!" Misato cheered apprasingly, not even bothering to observe the niceties of giving thanks before digging into her meal. Shinji sighed, too used to her behavior to be anything other than exasperated. Rei however, stared at the spectacle before her as the very unconventional woman sitting nearby ate with zest, small bits of rice flying past her head. The Major was such a responsible, intelligent woman at NERV-- could she perhaps have a bipolar disorder?

"Major Katsuragi--"

Misato suddenly stopped consuming her food, and slammed her chopsticks on the table.

"Damnit, Rei, we're not at work right now-- just call me Misato, all right?"

"But Major..."

"Rei, this is an order--When we're at home, I forbid you to call me by anything other than my first name."

"...But Major, you just emphasized that we are not on NERV premises, and as such, is your rank not made void and thus not applicable to this situation?"

Misato stared at the girl, unable to circumvent her faultless logic, while Shinji was staring down at his food, his trembling making it clear he was trying his hardest not to laugh.

"...Fine. Whatever-- call me 'Major' if you want. I don't care." The look on her face made it clear that she was at least annoyed, however. "...So what is it?"

Rei was silent for a moment before she spoke.

"...Where will I be sleeping tonight?"

Misato swallowed the beer she was swigging, and looked up at the ceiling pensively.

"Well, I suppose we could always put you in Asuka's room."

Both Shinji and Rei were less than enthused by the idea, and Misato asked them why.

"Um, Misato... I don't know if its...right...to let her stay in there."

He knew that when... well, if... Asuka got better, the first thing she would complain about besides Rei living under the same roof as her would be if she had laid a finger on anything in her room--the thought of an angry Asuka fresh out of the hospital was not a pleasant one.

"...I also feel that it would be...inappropriate to assume residence of Pilot Sorhyu's living quarters," the pale girl quietly added.

The violet-haired alcoholic sighed, considering their meager remaining options.

"Hmm...your only other real option's the TV room, but I don't think you'd like that..."

"...Misato...Rei could have my room."

Misato's train of thought was derailed unceremoniously by this comment and she stared at Shinji suspiciously. To her satisfaction, he began to flail his arms wildly and turn a very dark shade of red.

"N-not like THAT! I-I just meant that I could sleep out here, and that way she'd, uh... be more comfortable..."

Misato smiled, glad that Shinji was showing some chivalry toward their guest.

"It's all right with me. Rei, what do you want to do?"

After a few minutes spent staring at her empty plate, Rei quietly answered.

"That would be...acceptable."

She was finding it hard to fight the blush creeping across her face.

* * *

After dinner, Rei cleaned up the plates (Shinji had again tried to convince her not to worry about it, but she had bluntly insisted, practically forcing the boy out of the kitchen) while Shinji got the spare futon pulled out of the closet and set it on the ground in front of the television. Misato, as usual, was doing nothing to help, simply sitting on the couch in front of the set, nursing another Yebisu in her hand.

_Well, at least I've got someone else to take care of the chores,_ she thought to herself with a smile.

_Plus, it'll be easier this way to keep an eye on her..._

"Major Katsuragi?"

Misato was shaken out of her thoughts by Rei, standing just behind the couch, wearing a oversized t-shirt as her nightclothes. She sighed mentally, then spoke.

"Is there something you need, Rei?"

"...I wish to ask you something else."

"Well, what is it?"

"...When we were in the car earlier today, you mentioned that Ikari-kun was 'back to normal.' Was something wrong with him?"

The older woman raised an eyebrow-- Rei concerned about someone? It took her a moment to answer.

"...Well, after the... explosion... Shinji just, well... I'll just say I've never seen him looking so miserable."

"...Why would he have been miserable?"

Misato stared at Rei curiously. Did she really not know?...

"Rei...well, it was... because of you, I guess."

"...I...caused Ikari to be...depressed?"

"Well, he was really worried. As soon as he found out you were alive, he stayed at that hospital until you got better. To be honest...I've never seen him like that before."

Rei was silent as this information hit her.

_Shinji stayed with me...for all this time...?_

"...Excuse me, Misato."

Without another word, she entered Shinji's room, leaving a very confused looking Misato sitting on the couch for about a minute before she decided to go to bed as well. She stopped about halfway through, and sighed exasperatedly as she realized that Rei was finally calling her by her first name.

* * *

The slight noise of a sliding door being pulled open snapped Shinji's attention away from his current task.

"Oh, hi Ayanami. Did you find the bathroom all right?"

She didn't say a word, she simply looked at him kneeling on the floor with his hands rummaging in his cabinets.

"...Don't worry-- I'm just getting a change of clothes for tomorrow; I don't want to come in here and have to wake you up--"

He was silenced as Rei swiftly crossed the room and threw her arms around his neck. His sense of time seemed to fade as he felt Rei's arms around him and her head leaning on his own as she stood over him. When he tried to breathe, the gentle scent of shampoo floated into his nose, further hindering his brain function.

"A-Ayanami..."

He finally managed to utter her name, but when he said it, he wasn't sure if he had wanted her to stop or stay there. In response, the pale girl squeezed him tighter to her. She wasn't sure why she had wanted to hold him like this after Misato had told her about Shinji's depression, but somehow it felt right. After a few minutes, Rei slowly released her hold on Shinji, leaving him with a stunned, almost blissful look on his face.

With that, she went to the bed sitting in the corner and got under the covers.

"Ayanami..."

He whispered her name again, not sure if he had just imagined what he had seen. Suddenly a quiet voice came from the bed.

"...Rei."

Shinji looked at her in surprise, uncertain of what she meant.

"...What?"

"We are now living in the same house, correct? As such...I would like for you to call me 'Rei'...Shinji."

"...Okay...Rei."

With that, a very confused, but happy, Shinji Ikari walked slowly out of his room to the makeshift bed a few feet away and lay down to sleep.

A/N: Ahh-- after last chapter, I had to unwind a little bit, and had some fun writing this one--consider it the 'calm before the storm.' Thanks for your continued support! Just remember to keep letting me know what you think-- every little bit helps!


	13. Ezra

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 13: Ezra

Deep below NERV, in the very heart of Terminal Dogma, the sound of heels clicking on concrete broke the absolute silence. Ritsuko walked into a circular room with glass on the entire circumference; it couldn't be told from the near-darkness, but the room was a kind of giant aquarium-- the glass housing living objects that could not be seen without proper light. The scientist didn't need to see them, though--not for what she was going to do.

Gendo... If I can't get to you any other way... then I'll hurt you as much as I can.

She pulled out a small remote covered in a dark green hue, then pressed a few buttons. The small screen on the console then flashed a command confirmation request:

ABORT DUMMY PLUG PROGRAM?

She was about to answer 'yes' when she suddenly heard a quiet, lyrical voice from behind her.

"...What are you doing down here, Doctor?"

She nearly snapped her neck from turning around so fast-- it was the Fifth Child, standing there near the door she had just come through. He didn't tone wasn't accusatory or suspicious, he merely sounded as though he was genuinely interested.

She stared at him for a moment, questions flashing through her mind.

_How did he get down here? I made sure I wasn't followed..._

"Kaworu Nagisa-- I should ask you the same question. You aren't allowed down here, this area is restricted. I demand to know how you managed to gain entrance."

The pale boy merely smiled, his red eyes mere slits. Ritsuko was seething-- he looked so much like...Rei...that she was all but losing her temper.

"If you leave now, I won't mention this to the Commander. Now get out."

Kaworu made no move to leave, he simply strode forward as though he didn't have a care in the world.

"...You're planning to destroy the Plugs, aren't you?"

This time, Ritsuko couldn't hide her shock as she stared at the innocent-looking boy.

"How do you know--"

"It's understandable-- It was for one of these you were made to suffer, was it not?"

He gave her a knowing smile that cut to her very soul. The blonde scientist's bewilderment was quickly turning to anger.

"Fifth Child, I'm losing my patience--If you don't leave immediately, you'll be asked to surrender your pilot status and placed under solitary confinement."

"...Are you trying to intimidate me with empty threats, Dr. Akagi? We both know that the Commander cannot afford to lose another pilot at this point in time."

Ritsuko clenched her fist, knowing that he was right. To her surprise, Kaworu turned around and walked towards the exit.

"...Very well, Dr. Akagi...You know, it's really quite lovely down here-- I only came to suggest that you invite a guest before you destroy the tank's contents."

She didn't say anything, but she suddenly stopped moving and he knew she was listening.

"...What are you getting at, Kaworu?"

He pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Ritsuko.

"Nothing...I was only saying that there are people who would...'benefit' from this knowledge, if it happened to fall into their hands."

Without another word, he turned and left. As she watched him leave with a bit of suspicion, she turned the paper upside down.

It was a photo taken from a security camera, showing Shinji and Rei walking together.

* * *

A few hours later, dawn broke over the city, bleaching the dark indigo of the night sky with streaks of color until it all melted into a clear blue. The sun was midway to the peak of its daily journey across the horizon when Rei finally awoke with a yawn. She blinked repeatedly in an effort to force herself to cognizance, then looked around curiously until she remembered the events of the previous day.

_Oh yes...I'm in Ikari-kun's home now._

She silently picked herself up and walked slowly to the door. Opening it, she turned left into the television room and found Shinji sitting in front of the set. Upon noticing her presence, he ignored his program and paid her his full attention.

"Oh, good morning, Rei!"

"...Good morning, Shinji."

She blushed slighly on remembering what she had done last night, but her male companion didn't notice it. She caught the ghost of red playing on his cheeks, however.

"...What time is it?

Shinji looked at his watch distractedly.

"Umm, let's see... about fifteen minutes to 10:00."

Rei allowed herself a surprised blink. She could not honestly say she remembered the last time she had slept this late... if she ever had at all. She had never found sleeping to be a pleasant experience (or a negative one; it was simply a neccessity of the human condition), but Shinji's bed had seemed so comfortable that she found herself drifting into slumber almost immediately. She felt a pang of guilt at forcing her host out of his own bed; the futon could not have been nearly as pleasant.

"Did you sleep well, Shinji?"

"...Oh, yeah...I, you know, got a fair amount," he lied. In truth, he was up half the night tossing and turning on the flimsy mattress. But he'd put up with it as long as Rei was comfortable here.

"...Where is Misato?"

"Oh, she got called in for the double-shift at the last minute, so, uh..."

"...We will be by ourselves for the remainder of the day?"

"Uh...yeah," Shinji managed to say while blushing furiously at the thought of being alone with Rei for the entire day--and not in a coma, either... He gradually managed to bring his thoughts back to the present.

"Hey, you slept through breakfast-- are you hungry?"

Rei suddenly realized that she was, in fact, quite hungry.

"...Yes."

Shinji got up off his seat and headed to the kitchen. Within seconds she heard the gentle clanging of pots and pans from the lower cabinets. She followed the boy into the tile-covered area of the house and saw him rummaging around, setting out a variety of foods and ingredients.

"I...I do not require anything special..."

Shinji turned his head up when he heard the familiar quiet voice behind him. As he stood up he pulled out a skillet with him from the storage space's depths.

"Hey, it's no trouble-- I'm getting hungry anyway. Do you mind pancakes, Rei?"

She stared at him curiously.

"...What are 'pancakes?'"

Shinji smiled at Rei's 'joke', but when he looked at her properly he noticed she was being completely serious.

"...You mean you really don't know?"

The girl nodded her head in response. Shinji looked at her oddly, as if he had just realized she was a figment of his imagination.

"The Commander required that I keep my diet simple, so as to avoid being demanding."

He somehow doubted that the reason Rei had never eaten pancakes was an effort to keep her from being spoiled. He huffed under his breath angrily, then turned back to Rei smiling.

"Well, then, now I HAVE to make them-- you'll like them Rei, especially with some fruit in them."

Rei didn't complain or assent, but she did grab the box of pancake mix from the counter and began reading.

"Very well. But I would like to assist you this time, Shinji."

Shinji sighed, knowing that there was no arguing with Rei when she got like this.

"...All right."

* * *

A half hour and many failed attempts later, the two children were sitting at the table, quietly enjoying a small stack of banana pancakes. Both were covered in batter and flour (Rei considerably more than Shinji), but neither cared. It had quickly changed from Rei handing him utensils and measuring cups to a full-fledged cooking class, Shinji's role reduced to standing nearby and offering help when Rei needed it.

"...Wow, Rei-- these came out really good."

"...They would have been better if I had allowed you to do it yourself," she said a little sadly.

He looked at her from across the table, taking a minute to swallow his food before speaking.

"C'mon, give yourself a little credit-- it was only your first time, and other than how much batter we ended up wasting, these're just about perfect! You're a very good cook, Rei."

"T-thank you..." she managed to say while staring down at her food.

They continued to eat in silence, but it was the silence that comes from perfect contentment, not from hostility or indifference.

* * *

When they were finished they got cleaned up (Shinji took care of the dishes while Rei took the first shower) and after both children were clean and dressed they sat down on the couch.

_What are we supposed to do now?_ Shinji thought nervously.

"Um... Rei?"

She turned her head to meet his eyes, which caused him to get even more nervous, but he quickly steeled his nerves before he spoke.

"Well, there's, um... there's a movie theater not too far from here. If you want to, well... maybe we can go...I'm not saying you HAVE to or anything, but--"

"...Very well. Let us go." She silently got up from the couch and went to the door, slipping her shoes onto her feet. "...Are you coming, Shinji?"

He stared for a second, his brain unable to process how quickly Rei had answered him. Then he quickly followed her lead. As they prepared to step out, Shinji absentmindedly grabbed an umbrella, noticing that the sky was starting to look overcast.

* * *

"...Maybe we made a mistake with that one."

A few hours later Shinji and Rei walked out of the theater, which was showing pre-Second Impact American comedy matinees this week. They were both quite disappointed with what had been selected for today. Meanwhile the sky had gone from slightly cloudy to prematurely dark during the time they had spent inside.

"I concur," Rei said solemnly. "If this Rob Schneider is a 'comedian', should he not be amusing, at least?"

Her companion nodded, upset that the cashier had refused to give them their money back for their tickets.

"Well, at least we won't need to worry about any more movies from him-- he died in the Second Impact."

"That is something to be thankful for," Rei said seriously.

They were about a half-mile from the apartment when the clouds suddenly thundered open, making the two stare upwards as a sheet of rain suddenly began to pound on them from above. Shinji quickly undid the latch on his umbrella and clicked it open, but he was already soaked by the time he was got it up. It took him a second to realize that Rei was still standing in the rain.

"...Rei! What are you doing?...Aren't you cold?"

She didn't seem to notice the rain, almost as if she was used to it.

"...It is of no concern."

He looked at her, feeling guilty, then handed the unbrella to her.

"...Here."

"...But Shinji..."

"It's no problem, Rei-- I'd rather you not get sick anyway."

She was silent as she considered the umbrella that was now shielding her from the elements, then at the boy who had put her ahead of himself. Shinji nearly jumped as not only did he no longer feel the rain on his head anymore, but a warm shoulder near his own. He slowly shifted his eyes to see Rei leaning on him, holding the umbrella between them.

_She's so warm..._ he thought as his eyes became glued to the profile gazing ahead unfazed beneath that mop of sky-blue hair. Neither one said a word until they got home, both surrendering to the peaceful silence.

* * *

After an early dinner, consisting of leftovers saved from last night and a bit of ice cream from the fridge, they changed out of their wet clothes and, with nothing better to do, sat in front of the television set. They still hadn't spoken since they had shared the umbrella in the rain, both too nervous to be the first to speak. Shinji was absentmindedly flipping through the channels when he came across an old, pre-Second Impact film. He had no idea what it was, but he was tired of looking for something else to watch and Rei didn't seem to have any complaints. They both stared blankly as a song Shinji happened to know started to play on the film's soundtrack. He only realized he was humming along when he noticed that Rei's eyes were locked onto his face.

"...Do you like that music?"

He looked at her. "...Huh?"

"The tune you were humming just now-- do you like it?"

The boy suddenly turned a bright red.

"...Is something wrong, Shinji?"

"Uh, no...I just, uh...(didn't realize I was doing that, he said in a whisper)"

"...It's nice," she said quietly. "...but very sad. Do you know what it's called?"

Shinji quietly searched his memory.

"...It's "I Can't Stop Loving You," I think. It's an old song--from an Americanmusician named Ray Charles."

"...I like it," Rei said, and was silent as she turned her attention back to the screen.

The movie was definitely a long one-- an hour had passed now and it showed no signs of slowing down. Shinji was making an effort just to keep his eyes open. He then felt Rei's head fall onto his shoulder, her eyes shut tight as she was plainly asleep. The boy made to move her, but something stopped his hand and he decided to just let her stay where she was. He realized he was staring at her again, the film droning on only to throw flashes of light onto her pale, delicate face. He smiled a little, and gently leaned his head on hers.

_This is...nice..._

He quickly felt his eyes shut as his fatigue from the long day caught up with him.

* * *

He wasn't sure what had woken him up, the only thing that occured to him when his eyes opened was that Rei was no longer sitting next to him.

"...Rei?"

He looked around the couch, but she wasn't there. Nor was she in the kitchen, or the bathroom. He was beginning to panic when he felt a draft coming in from the location of the patio, and looked out to see Rei sitting on a chair with her arms around her knees, staring out at the still-pouring down rain.

"Rei..."

The pale girl snapped out of her reverie at Shinji's voice. She turned her head and saw him standing at the threshold, looking down at her with a concerned expression.

"...What's wrong?"

She looked at him as passively as she tried to hide what she was so pensive over.

"...Nothing is wrong, Shinji."

"No, really, what is it? I...I want to help."

Rei sighed as Shinji walked around her and sat down about a foot away.

Can I really... tell him what is bothering me? She wasn't sure. She definitely trusted Shinji, but she didn't know how to put it into words. She liked the fact that he was being so nice to her now, but something inside her-- perhaps paranoia from living alone so long-- made her doubt his motives.

"Shinji...why are you spending so much time with me?"

He hesitated, not sure he was secure enough to tell her the truth.

"W-well...we're friends, Rei. I...I want to make sure you're okay."

Rei quietly wondered if 'friends' was all he saw them as, but she didn't say anything.

"...So you're only watching me to make sure I'm not...'sick?'"

"...Rei, of course not!"

"You're only doing this to ensure that I am well, and then you'll leave me...like _he_ will."

Shinji was shocked-- what had brought this on? Things had been just fine a few hours ago, but now...

"...I don't want you to be near me just because you feel like you have to..."

"REI, STOP! THAT'S NOT IT AT ALL!"

Suddenly a look of surprise flashed across her face. Shinji was only vaguely aware that he had grabbed her hand and was squeezing it tightly, his face only a few inches from her own. Rei's eyes had widened considerably, giving her the appearance of a deer when it finds itself blinded by the headlights of an approaching car.

"...Rei...don't think that. Don't ever think that again. Th-the reason I'm here...is because I WANT to be here. With you."

She tried to argue, but the overwhelming sadness in his eyes silenced her, and she knew that he wasn't lying. She felt strange looking into his eyes right now-- it was almost like she felt numb, but it was a very warm kind of numbness. He loosened the death grip he had on her hand slightly, but did not let go, much to Rei's quiet happiness.

"I..I apologize, Shinji...I shouldn't have made you upset..."

But to her further surprise, he lifted his other hand to her face and cradled it gently in his palm. He gazed at her, completely at a loss for words, slowly caressing her cheek with his thumb.

"...Rei..."

He hesitantly scooted closer to her, their noses practically touching each other. Her whole body trembled slightly, but she wasn't sure if it was from the cold or not. She was only aware of a blissful, inhibiting fog that was slowly clouding her mind.

"...I..."

Shinji tried to continue speaking, but the words got stuck in his throat as he felt lips lean slowly closer to Rei's...

RING RING RING

The issessant chiming of the telephone broke the spell within an instant. Shinji suddenly backed away from Rei, his face so red he looked like he was having a heart attack. Rei simply sat there, her half-shut eyelids reluctantly fluttering open, a half-dazed look on her face.

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry," he poor boy managed to stutter out, his heart pounding. "I'll just, uh...g-go get the uh...phone..." He practically tripped on the track for the screen door as he stumbled inside, still looking completely flushed. Rei nodded slightly, her eyes out of focus and her own heart racing inside her chest. She felt the place where the pounding was coming from-- she knew that she had an organ called the heart within her that allowed her to pump blood throughout her body, but she had never been so acutely aware of its presence before. The shock of euphoria that had passed through her at Shinji's nearness had left her... strangely disappointed. Rei suddenly realized how much she hated telephones, despite the fact that they had never bothered her before.

She had managed to regain her composure when Shinji walked back in, with a strange look on his face.

"...Who was it?"

Shinji tried to meet her eye, but couldn't even look in her direction without his face threatening to change color again.

"Umm, it was Ritsuko..."

"...Dr. Akagi called for you?"

"Yeah, it's weird. She said there was something I needed to see..."

He stood there, reluctant to leave her side, then muttered something about getting his coat and turned back to the living area. Rei slowly followed him, standing near the open patio door. He was getting his shoes on when she suddenly broke the silence.

"Shinji..."

He turned his head to the girl looking at him with a strange light in her eyes.

"...You will come back...won't you?"

Rei knew she was being irrational-- but deep down she was afraid that he wouldn't return.

_I don't...want you to leave me..._

He smiled at her.

"...Of course I will, Rei."

And with that, he opened the door and made his way to NERV headquarters, his mind on Rei the whole way.

A/N: The next chapter won't be Shinji and Misato's discovery of Rei's origins-- I think everyone who's seen the show knows it to death, and I don't want to waste people's time with something I wouldn't change anyway. My main purpose in showing the Ritsuko/Kaworu conversation was to make her motivation for showing Shinji clear-- I think she did it to essentially hurt Rei by destroying the only relationship she had with someone who wasn't using her. Whether or not Shinji will stay beside her will be revealed only with time... Oh, and I know the 'Rob Schneider' thing was totally random-- I just hate that guy. Oh well. :)

Rei: Shinji, does it seem as though the author is working us too hard?

Shinji: Yeah, we got off easy with the first few chapters, but now he just goes on and on and on...


	14. Jonah

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 14: Jonah

Rei didn't know how long she had been in front of the television when she finally heard the click of the front door unlocking. She turned around to face the door, wanting to greet Shinji as soon as she saw him. The truth was Rei wasn't really watching whatever program was on now, she was just thinking about the boy who had nearly kissed her what felt like a lifetime ago. To her surprise, Misato was the first to walk in. The smile that had formed on the girl's face dropped almost instantly.

"Hello, Misato."

For a second, the Major didn't answer her-- she stared at a point on the wall as though it was the most interesting thing in the world. She blinked when Rei repeated her greeting, and smiled.

"Oh...hi Rei."

As Rei looked closer at Misato, she noticed that, well... her grin somehow didn't seem... sincere. Rei didn't speak on it, but seeing Misato so falsely cheerful made her feel uneasy.

"...Well, it's late...I'd...better get to bed..."

With that, Misato walked straight past Rei to her own room, making every effort to not look at the girl sitting on the couch. Rei looked at the Major as she slowly made her way down the hall.

_...Did something happen at NERV?_

Shortly after the door to Misato's room had slid shut, the object of Rei's thoughts came through the front door. She smiled, glad that he had kept his promise.

"...Shinji."

At the sound of his name, the boy slowly turned his head in Rei's direction. To her silent surprise, Shinji looked even more unhinged than his guardian had-- his face was completely blank, but there was a strange look in his eyes that seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite place... He looked at her for about a second, before shifting his eyes away and walking slowly toward his bedroom. She stared at him in a state of utter confusion.

_First Major Katsuragi, and now Shinji... what am I not being told...?_

Rei didn't simply let it pass like she had with Misato, though-- she quitetly got off the couch and intercepted Shinji before he could reach the door.

"Shinji?"

Again, he didn't answer. He was ignoring her... the thought frightened Rei, and 'frightened' was not something that happened to her very often.

"...Shinji...what's wrong?"

She slowly raised a hand to his face on instinct, but before she could make contact Shinji suddenly pushed it away. She gasped involuntarily, surprised, but did not speak. They simply stood there while Shinji sounded like he was trying to talk.

"...Rei, I..."

He tried to look her in the eyes, but somehow didn't have the courage to do even that. He felt agitated and uncomfortable, something he didn't want to feel around Rei, but...

"...I-I'm sorry...but...I need to get...changed..." he managed to mumble out, barely even bothering to look at the girl in front of him now. He walked around her and slid open the door. Rei wanted to stop him, wanted to know what was wrong and ask him until he admitted it to her, but just then she realized what she had seen in Shinji's eyes.

He was afraid of her. His face... it was just like before... She simply stood there, paralyzed, and felt the door slide shut behind her.

Shinji's back fell onto the door as he shut it behind him. He tried to force the images of the past few hours out of his mind, but they refused to be ignored... along with the truth.

The giant, hanging on the crucifix...

The facsimile of Rei's former apartment...

The endless graveyard of Eva skeletons... and...

He buried his face into his palms, his fingertips digging into his forehead, as if to purge the truth from his mind. But no matter how much he wanted it to go away, it only seemed to grow stronger.

_It can't be..._

_Rei's not... she can't be..._

He slid to the floor as the last two words slipped out of his mouth, barely audible:

"My...mother..." He wept bitterly into his hands, uncertain of what to feel or do. On the other side of the door, Rei heard him andsuddenly understood.

* * *

The morning sun illuminated the sky once again. After the rain of yesterday, the clouds had disappeared completely, leaving only the translucent blue sky. It occured to Shinji how ironic it seemed as he woke up from his seated position against the sliding door. He suddenly remembered how he had treated Rei last night.

_I'm sorry, Rei...I...just don't know what to do..._

He sighed to himself, then waited for about five minutes before opening the door. To his relief, Rei was not in the television room, though he noted that the mattress on the floor meant she had slept in his place last night. He picked himself up off the ground and walked through...

...Only to see the pale girl walk out of the kitchen with a glass of water in her hand. For a moment their eyes met and both stood frozen to their respective places. Rei opened her mouth as if to say something but Shinji broke eye contact, staring at the ground as he moved past her into the kitchen.

"...I'll get started on some breakfast," he muttered, sounding a little distant.

"...Very well."

* * *

Rei sat at the table, her eyes tracing the natural patterns of the wood. A few feet away Shinji stood with his back to her, his mind only vaguely on the omelettes he was preparing. It was hard to believe that this silence was so different from yesterday's at this time-- instead of peace, the two children were only aware of the turbulence of their own thoughts. In her quiet tone of voice, Shinji just barely heard Rei speak.

"She told you, then?"

"...Yes," Shinji said after a long pause. "...Why didn't...you say anything?"

"...I apologize Shinji... but I was--"

"What-- you were 'ordered' not to?"

The vicious undertone of Shinji's question startled Rei, but she continued to speak.

"...I was afraid... that if you knew, you would...hate me..."

Shinji sighed. He had wanted to yell at Rei as loud as he could, make her cry, anything to force that even, steady voice of hers to change just a little bit-- but when she said that, he somehow hated himself for thinking that way. He focused on finishing breakfast, and without a word set down their plates. As they ate, Shinji finally found his voice.

"Rei..."(she stopped eating at once, putting her chopsticks down and focused her eyes at him from across the table)"...I don't hate you. I don't think that I ever did. It's just...

"...You are afraid of me," she said with a bit of sadness in her voice.

"I...I don't know, Rei. I just... I don't know what to think anymore."

"...Do you think...that I am your mo--"

"DON'T SAY IT!"

She jumped at Shinji's sudden outburst.

"Just...don't...I don't even want to think about it...please..."

When Ritsuko all but told him that Rei was cloned from his mother, he'd nearly snapped then and there. He couldn't imagine that the girl he'd...nearly kissed...was in some way related to him. In an instant every good feeling he'd ever had regarding Rei seemed to become tainted, soiled by the ugliness of the truth, to the point where he wasn't even sure he had ever properly known her. If he felt this way about Rei...and she was his...mother... what kind of person did that make him? How could he possibly be expected to feel the same way he had only yesterday, when they had sat together on the patio? Rei stared at him while he was lost in his thoughts. Even though he didn't say anything, she could tell that he was in pain. She slowly reached out a hand to him.

"Shinji..."

He once again pushed her hand away, ignoring the devastated look on her face, but not bothering to say anything. For a moment it was quiet--the discord between them threatening to break them apart forever. Then Rei silently got up.

"...Where are you going?" he asked when her back was to him, only halfway interested.

"...I am going to pack."

He suddenly lifted his head to Rei, but she did not turn around or otherwise notice his existence.

"'Pack?' ...What do you mean?"

"...My presence here is only causing you to suffer now. I should return to my original place of residence."

Shinji just stared at her, at a loss for words. _Leave...?_

"...But know this, Shinji..." she turned her head just enough that her eyes met his, "...I am_not_ your mother. And I never will be. I will always be Rei Ayanami--no more or less."

It was then that Shinji suddenly noticed something wet on Rei's face-- something he thought he would never see her do in his life.

_She's...crying..._ He would never have realized if the light from the window had not hit her face at the moment she turned around-- she was perfectly composed and her voice was as calm and gentle as it had ever been.

"...Please tell Misato not to worry, as I will be gone before she arrives."

She turned back and walked out of the kitchen without another word, leaving Shinji feeling more confused than before.


	15. Ruth

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1. Reminder: I do not own the song "You Belong To Me," originally performed by Patsy Cline, which will actually be used in this chapter : )

Chapter 15: Ruth

Rei sat inside Shinji's room, her eyes half-focused on the single cardboard box she had managed to compile her belongings into. It had been nearly an hour since she had stopped crying, and though it had only taken her about 15 minutes to pack, she found it difficult to leave the house. She knew that she was being irrational again, but in the two days she had spent living with the Major and Shinji, she had somehow...gained a sense of 'attachment' to the small apartment. Rei was aware that this place was merely a means of providing shelter, but... when she thought about the day she had shared with Shinji yesterday, it seemed like more than that now.

_Home..._ She thought sadly. _...A term that describes a location...that is more than a place to live. A place I have never known in my life. Until..._

She shook the thought away.

...If I bring Shinji pain...then perhaps...I am not meant to ever have a home.

She closed her eyes and fervently prayed, to whom she didn't know, that she could stay here forever. But no one answered. Rei took that as a negative response, and quietly stood up.

* * *

In the kitchen, Rei's glass of water had begun to sweat; drops of water were forming outside the glass and slowly running down the side, pooling around the bottom rim. Watching this spectacle with a dazed look on his face was Shinji. His head was cradled in his arms on the table, and when he wasn't looking at the glass he was staring at the wall, but he knew the answer he was searching for was not in either place.

_Why does it hurt so much?_

_I don't want to face Rei again...so why do I hate the idea of her leaving?_

He thought about their 'conversation' from a little over an hour ago. He tried to recall the anger he had felt at first, but somehow the only thing that seemed entirely clear to him was that he had seen Rei in tears... because of him.

_No._

_Don't think about it like that. She betrayed me. She knew all along and she never said a word!_

...But the more that he thought about it, the more it seemed like he was being unfair. Rei couldn't help what she was. Any more than he could help that he...

"Wait, why do I still feel that way? S-she's still...not..."

Ritsuko didn't spare Shinji the reality of Rei's Angelic nature, either. He hadn't really dwelled on why the girl was still alive, but suddenly it made perfect sense.

_What if... she hurts someone? What if she can't control it?_

No. This was Rei...she would never hurt anybody. But how could he think that so easily?

_...Because the reason she never told me was...I would have just abandoned her--like Dad abandoned me... not to trick me..._

Shinji thought about that for quite a while. No matter how much he didn't understand his father, he couldn't help noticing just how...similar they were.

"Do I...really want to be like that?"

_No matter what she is...can I really do that to her?_

At that moment, the door to his room opened, snapping him out of his dark thoughts. He didn't turn his head as he heard the gentle footfalls of his female companion stop somewhere in the living room.

"...I have finished collecting my belongings."

He wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. He wasn't even sure what he wanted to say to her. She was silent for just a moment before she uttered what she thought would be the last words she ever said to him.

"...Goodbye...Shinji."

_**See the pyramids along the Nile**_

_**Watch the sunrise from a tropic isle...**_

Suddenly something inside Shinji broke. He gasped as he recalled the last time she had said that.

Right before she...

And within that moment he remembered it-- the emptiness in his soul when he thought she was dead. How it had hurt so much that he couldn't sleep or eat or even pretend to care about anything. He'd taken her for granted, afraid to tell her the truth because he was certain she'd always be there. That nothing would ever happen to her.

_**Just remember, darling, all the while...**_

_I can't lose her. Not again. Not ever again._

"Rei...wait..."

In a single swift motion he got up, knocking his chair over, ran through the hall and grabbed her arm just before she crossed the threshold. She gasped at the sudden contact, and in shock dropped the box, spilling its contents onto the floor. They stood like that for about a minute before Rei broke the awkward silence.

**_You belong to me..._**

"Let go," she said in barely a whisper as she lamely tried to pull her arm free.

"...No."

_**See the marketplace in old Algiers**_

_**Send me photographs and souveniers**_...

It was then that Shinji realized what he had wanted to say.

"...Don't go."

_**Just remember when your dream appears...**_

Rei struggling stopped within an instant, though she still kept looking away from Shinji. He felt as thoughshe was slowly drifting farther and farther away from him, and he felt himself breaking down.

_**You belong to me...**_

"...Please, Rei...please don't leave me..." he swallowed hard, the ache in his heart overwhelming his fear.

"...I...I love you..."

_**I'll be so alone without you**_

_**Maybe you'll be lonesome, too...**_

She turned her head to face him. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes were wide as saucers, full of both joy and uncertainty at Shinji's words.

"...What?"

He didn't answer right away, as he was trying desperately to stop the tears that were now streaming down his face.

_**Fly the ocean in a silver plane**_

_**See the jungle when it's wet with rain...**_

"...I-I do...I...I'm sorry Rei...I'm sorry I treated you like...like you were nothing...I don't care what you are...It...It doesn't matter."

_**Just remember 'til you're home again...**_

At this point he had dropped to his knees in front of her, staring at the ground, his arms around Rei's waist, holding her as tightly as he could. She stood as if frozen to the spot, uncertain of what to do. As he held onto Rei, he knew that the tearing in his soul would never go away unless he could always be with her. Her and no one else. He remembered the numbness that had saturated his whole existence-- he had never thought that he could care about--much less love-- anybody. Yet it was this seemingly emotionless girl in his arms who had gotten through to him. Who had changed him.

_**You belong to me...**_

"...R-Rei...I...I don't want to go back...to the way I was before...please..."

From his position he didn't see the gentle smile return to her face. She didn't want to say anything to ruin the happiness she felt at this moment-- the moment that she, a worthless clone of a dead woman and a sleeping titan, was truly loved. Instead she gently put her hand atop his head, running her fingers through his hair.

_**I'll be so alone without you**_

_**Maybe you'll be lonesome too...**_

"Shhh...it's alright, Shinji...I'm here...I'm here..."

_**Fly the ocean in a silver plane**_

_**See the jungle when it's wet with rain...**_

She leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck to return his embrace, all thoughts of leaving gone from her mind as his tears quietly fell onto her shoulder.

_**Just remember 'til you're home again**_

_**You belong to me...**_

A/N: This was another hard one to write--I just hope it doesn't suck or I made it too WAFFy! Again, thanks for the continued support and reviews! The story's going to be taking a big twist from the canon next chapter, so see you soon!


	16. Kings I

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 16: Kings I

Gendo flashed his identification to the guards situated on both sides of the door to NERV's detention block. After walking for a few minutes he found the cell he was looking for, and entered the necessary code into the keypad. The steel door opened with a hiss, and light spilled into the dark cubicle. Inside sat Ritsuko, her back turned to the door and her head hung. She didn't turn around or make any sign that she noticed her lover; she simply spoke.

"...Did you know my cat died?"

Gendo ignored her odd statement, his mind focused only on a question he already knew the answer to, but was required to ask so as to maintain the secrecy of his knowledge.

"Doctor Ritsuko Akagi-- Why did you destroy the Dummy Plug system?"

"...I hadn't seen my cat in a long time...Now I know that I'll never see it again."

"Dr. Akagi, answer the question-- why did you destroy the cores of the Dummy Plugs?"

She smiled bitterly in the shadows, but the tone of her voice only served to reveal the twisted pleasure she had taken in her actions.

"...It wasn't the cores I destroyed...It was Rei!...Yui...Even reborn as that...THING... neither mother or I could ever..."

Gendo sighed, Ritsuko's babbling shedding some light on her motives as well as exasperating him.

"You disappoint me, Dr. Akagi."

"...I...'disappoint you'...?"

Before Gendo could react, Ritsuko had sprung up from her bench and had her hands at his throat. Within an instant guards appeared and aimed their weapons at the hysterical woman trying desperately to strangle the Commander. Overcoming his shock, Gendo used a free hand and used it to twist the doctor's right arm. Her grip slackened as she gritted her teeth in pain, and he let her fall unceremoniously to the floor. She glared up at him from her pathetic position on the cold ground, her left hand massaging her bruised right arm.

"I DISAPPOINTED YOU? YOU NEVER HAD ANY HOPES OR EXPECTATIONS OF ME TO **START** WITH! I WAS **NOTHING**!"

The Commander stared down at her coldly, the full fury of his gaze hidden behind his tinted lenses. When he spoke, it was as though nothing had happened.

"...If you will not speak, then our conversation is over. I have no time to waste on a tempramental child."

With that, he turned around, ignoring the demands of the guards regarding his health. The door shut behind him, locking Ritsuko into the darkness once again. Overcome with the knowledge of what she had tried to do, as well as the futility of it, she broke into angry tears.

"What...do I do now...Mother?..."

* * *

**"...It would seem as though your plan did not come to fruition, Tabris."**

**"Indeed--rather than recover the true path, your actions have lead to a more grievous divergence."**

Kaworu sighed, his eyes narrowed at the twelve monolith holograms that surrounded him.

"...I admit that the actions of the Third were quite unexpected. I...underestimated the strength of their connection."

**"Mistakes are not to be tolerated-- not when one is following the predetermined will of the Divine."**

**"There was a reason we chose the path the Scrolls laid down for humanity."**

**"As far as prophecy goes, we are now entering unknown territory."**

**"At this point, Ikari's doll cannot be free to initiate Instrumentality-- she has changed too greatly from her original state."**

**"We cannot allow the son of Ikari and the daughter of Lilith to choose a future other than that which we have determined."**

Kaworu smiled and chuckled to himself grimly.

"There are still ways to ensure that the Third's mind enters your desired state of being."

The members of SEELE were silent at Kaworu's words.

**"...Explain your meaning, Tabris."**

"...I mean... if the connection between the First and Third is indeed strong, then its strength can be turned against them. And if the Second were to suddenly return..." his smile widened ever so slightly, "...It could make things very interesting."

He then turned his head to stare directly at the chief monolith, thusly denoted by the '01' that was emblazoned in red on its glassy surface.

"...If the original path cannot be recovered...then we will simply shape this new one to reach the same destination."

* * *

Misato sat down at the kitchen table, in the middle of her daily beer-nursing ritual. But she didn't indulge in her natural inclination of yelling at the top of her lungs and singing the praises of fermented barley and hops; rather, her thoughts were on the two teenagers in the living room putting on their coats. 

It had been one thing to find out that Rei was...not exactly normal. It had been an entirely different can of worms when she came home from NERV late last night her and Shinji sitting together, hands intertwined, on thecouch asleep.

To Shinji's apparent surprise, Misato did not tease him, or do anything that she normally would have involving him and a member of the opposite sex. In fact, she hadn't said anything to either of them since she had returned. It made Shinji a little worried, to say the least.

"Misato?"

There was no response from the kitchen.

"...Rei and I are going out for dinner, okay?"

When their guardian still didn't speak, Shinji sighed, then opened the door to let Rei go through first. Before he could follow her, Misato's voice came from the kitchen.

"Shinji-- can I talk to you, please?"

Rei turned her head in the voice's direction, wondering just what Misato wanted. She glanced at Shinji as he said he would. He noticed the curious look on Rei's face and turned to face her.

"...I'll just be a minute, okay?"

She nodded and closed the door after Shinji walked back into the house and to Misato's current position. She acknowledged his presence with her eyes, then finished her beer with a single swig before throwing the can into the trash a few feet away.

"...So... What are you two lovebirds doing today?"

She had her old mischevious grin on again, and Shinji had to smile.

_I guess I just imagined it-- probably just had too much to do last night._

"Well," he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, " after dinner we're going to go for a walk. Not much."

Misato chuckled.

"Wow, Shinji, you're quite the romantic-- all that in one night?" She said with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I know...but I'm still new to all this..." his eyes fell onto the ground, looking a little distant. He sighed, then waved at his guardian. "We won't be back too late, but don't wait up, okay?"

"Shinji...How long do you think this will last?"

On hearing Misato's voice suddenly turn serious, he stopped where he had been walking, his back to the older woman. Knowing that he was listening, Misato continued.

"...Do you think that the time you're spending with her now will change anything? How can you look her in the face at all, after what we found out? It's not even like she's human--"

"I DON'T CARE!"

Misato jumped slightly but otherwise did not move. She somehow couldn't believe that this was Shinji-- he never stood up for himself or anyone else, but since they had found out Rei was still alive,hehad startedto change. Not a dramatic change, but for him to defend Rei like that... it was definitely unexpected. An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Misato broke it with a sigh.

"...All right, I won't stop you... but... just don't get too attached to her, Shinji."

He didn't answer her, just walked around the corner. His footsteps echoed throughout the house, then were followed by the loud slamming of the front door. Misato let out another sigh, simultaneously smirking at how much she sounded like a tired old woman.

_Looks like I'll have to do a little more snooping..._

She took out a small object that looked like a medicinal pill, but was in fact a very tiny flash drive, and looked at it significantly. It was, after all, Kaji's last--and most important-- gift to her. Setting it back in her pocket, she looked at the watch on her left wrist.

"Hmph...well, work before pleasure, I suppose."

She went outside to her car, then sped off to NERV to begin her shift.

A/N: Hmm, lots of sighing in this chapter-- it's almost like an episode of Gundam Wing ; ) Anyway, I'll try to have another chapter done for today-- I meant to do a bunch yesterday, but I made the mistake of getting wrapped up in watching "Bleach"-- good stuff. Anyway, that's enough excuse-making from me, and I'll see you next chapter!


	17. Kings II

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same As Chapter 1.

Chapter 17: Kings II

"...Shinji?"

The sound of his name shook the boy out of his reverie.

"Oh...sorry. What is it?"

"We have arrived."

Without further ado, the underground train came to a stop. Then came the rush of people getting out, then entering, all with great disorganization and haste. Shinji and Rei were seperated briefly, but managed to locate each other at the top of the stairs that led above ground.

"Uhh...That was a nightmare," Shinji said in reference to the human sardine can that was the subway. He then turned to the pale girl standing a step below him. "Are you okay?"

"I am comfortable now," she said with relief.

Shinji knew Rei didn't like being in social situations of this type, but in order to get to the restaurant before nightfall this had been a necessary evil.

"...I'm sorry. We should have walked," he said nonetheless.

"Nonsense, Shinji," the girl interjected. "...This was the required means of transportation for reaching our desired location. Also I am aware that you are not by any means financially stable, and a taxi would be too great a strain on your budget. Furthermore, though I do not like to be in crowded trains, I am well and without injury. These facts in point outweigh any percieved discomfort I may have briefly experienced, and I am thus not upset."

Shinji blinked once Rei had finished her monologue.

"...What?"

"Well, it's just that... I've never heard you say that much at once."

Rei considered him for a moment as they started to walk.

"...That is true... But I have never _had_ much to say at once before."

Shinji couldn't help but start to laugh when she said that-- he knew that she wasn't joking, but the way she had said it so bluntly... He had managed to stop his giggling fit when Rei spoke again.

"...Do I amuse you, Shinji?" She didn't sound angry, just curious.

"I-I'm sorry, Rei--It's just...the way you said it was funny."

She looked at him oddly.

"...I do not see why. I was merely stating the truth. I do not understand 'humor.'"

The boy turned his head to see Rei facing ahead, but her eyes turned downward ever so slightly.

"...Perhaps it is something I am not meant to understand."

Shinji suddenly remembered what Misato had said about Rei only a little while ago. He sighed quietly, lost in his thoughts yet again.

Rei noticed that something was bothering him but did not say anything.

Neither spoke until they arrived at the restaurant.

* * *

"Hello. I'm here to visit Miss Asuka Langley Sorhyu."

The woman at the directory desk of the NERV hospital checked Kaworu's identification, then pointed him in the direction of the Psychiatric Ward. The silver-haired Fifth Child climbed the stairs effortlessly, the five story journey hardly causing him to break a sweat. There were no security cameras in the elevators-- he wanted to make sure that they saw him here, at least.

* * *

Shinji and Rei sat across from each other in their tiny booth. Occasionally Rei took a drink from her glass of water, but other than that they were still. The restaurant that Rei had (randomly) chosen was not one of the nicer ones, but the food was supposedly very good-- the perfect choice for one as 'financially unstable' as Shinji. He was sitting quietly, playing with his fork when Rei spoke.

"Shinji..."

"Yes?"

"...I am curious...What was it that Misato wanted you for?"

This question took Shinji aback. It was unlike Rei to pry into other people's business, especially when she had been deliberately left out of the conversation. He decided that a half-truth would work best in this situation.

"Oh, uh...she just wanted to know where we were going."

Before Rei could press the issue further, their meal arrived-- teriyaki vegetables for Rei and mushroom chicken for Shinji, with a large bowl of white rice for them to share. As they ate, Shinji forgot about his worries and just tried to enjoy spending time with Rei. Despite all he now knew about her, he found that task very easy to do. Rei was scooping another helping of rice from the bowl when she noticed Shinji staring at her, transfixed.

"...What is it?"

He seemed to fall out of a trance when she spoke.

"Oh...nothing," he said sheepishly, a light blush spreading across his cheeks as he turned his attention back to his dinner. Rei knew exactly why he had been staring at her though, and found herself smiling as well.

* * *

Kaworu turned yet another corner in the Psychiatric Ward, which seemed to be a complex maze of sorts-- no wonder many of the occupants never seemed to get better. The boy smiled to himself as he finally managed to locate Room 303. He entered and found on the room's only bed the comatose body of the former pilot of Unit-02.

Even though Rei had been in a similar state nearly a month ago, Asuka's was far worse-- instead of simply being able to sleep peacefully, the red-head looked as though she were frozen in utter shock. Her eyes were wide and blank, the glitter of their sapphire pupils cold and dull. Her mouth was slightly open, in which case she was sometimes found to be drooling onto her pillow. Occasionally she might mumble as though in her sleep, but other than that it had been concluded that she was beyond medical assistance. Kaworu walked straight up to her bed, then leaned over it, the smile from before still glued to his features.

"Hello, Second Child," he whispered to her sweetly, knowing that she could not respond. He then gently pressed two of his fingers to her forehead.

"...I'm afraid it's time for you to wake up now."

* * *

After dinner, Shinji and Rei had caught the last train back home. Since they managed to get on at the last second, they were not lucky enough to get seats, and had to settle for standing. When they had finished negotiating the crowds at their stop, they took the stairs to the surface and made their way to a park not far from the apartment. As they walked, Rei again asked Shinji what Misato had called him back for.

"I told you, Rei...she just wanted to know where we--"

"You are not good at lying, Shinji."

He looked over at the blue-haired girl-- her face was as stoic as ever, but her eyes bore a kind of sadness or concern. She grabbed his hand and lead him to a nearby bench, where she sat and indicated for him to do the same. He waited a moment before he started talking.

"...Rei, what makes you so sure I'm not telling you the truth about this? Why is it so important?" he said just a little more defensively than he meant to.

"...I heard you," she answered simply. "Through the door."

He suddenly remembered that when he had shut the door, he hadn't heard the lock catch. So Rei knows...

"...I want to thank you, Shinji."

He was sure at first that he had heard her wrong.

"W-why?"

"...Because of what you said to Misato. I...have never heard anyone...defend me before. Even the Commander...never saw me as worth arguing over. But..."

She paused while Shinji sat with his eyes locked on her.

"...You know she is right. I am not..."

"...Rei..."

"Shinji, it is the truth. I am not a human being. At least... not in the same way you are."

He gently put an arm around her, pulling her close. He couldn't think of anything else to do or say. Rei looked up at his profile-- his eyes were trained at the grass-covered ground beneath their feet, but the light shade of pink on his face was unmistakable. She smiled as she buried her head into his shoulder, not needing any words, and Shinji offering none.

The pair arrived home a half hour later to find the apartment full of the ringing of the telephone. Shinji sighed, then walked into the kitchen, taking his coat off as he went. "All right, all right..." he groaned as he picked up the reciever, ignoring the flashing '13' under the 'New Messages' LED.

"...Hello?"

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU TWO BEEN! I'VE BEEN TRYING TO REACH YOU FOR THE LAST HOUR!"

He hesitated as the loud voice hit his unprepared ear, nearly deafening him.

"...S-sorry, Misato... I just had my cell phone off--"

He heard her exasperated groan from the other end of the reciever. When she spoke again, her voice was slightly calmer, but no less severe.

"Damnit-- Just get down to NERV as fast as you can...and bring Rei with you."

"...Wait, Misato-- what's going on?"

"Shinji...It's about Asuka..."

He was silent for a moment as Misato explained the situation to him. He wordlessly hung up the phone, ran out of the kitchen without his coat, and grabbed Rei's hand as he headed toward the door.

"Come on-- we've got to go."

"...What is it?" she asked, not having heard the other half of the conversation.

"...Asuka's awake."

A/N: Whoa...dude...bet you didn't see that coming (not)! Now Asuka will be entering the story earlier than normal. I wasn't going to at first, but I decided that it would be kind of lame to just toss her back into the mix after the 12th angel is dead and NERV heads down the path to 3rd Impact. Plus, I've got something planned for her... I will continue to keep updating until this thing is done, so stick with it, people! Hope you're enjoying this humble little fic!


	18. Esther

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 18: Esther

Shinji and Rei, after taking the elevator to the fifth floor, ran all the way to Room 303. Actually, it was more that Shinji ran, and Rei only made an effort to catch up with him. There they found Misato standing outside the door, talking to one of a handful of white-coated doctors and nurses. She turned at the sound of the pair's footsteps.

"There you guys are. What kept you?"

"...Well...It's...not...like...we...could...take...a train," Shinji said in between breaths. He then leaned on the wall, trying to relieve the stitch in his side.

"...Is Pilot Sorhyu here?" Rei asked, her breathing steady; it almost seemed like she hadn't run at all.

"Yes...The doctors are still talking to her right now, to make sure she hasn't suffered any brain damage or behavioral changes, but--"

She was cut off as Shinji went straight past her and entered the room. Rei hesitated, then followed him.

"Hey!-- Wait, you two! There's something else..."

Both children ignored her, forcing their way through the doctors to the bed of the firery-haired girl. Sure enough, there she was-- sitting up in bed, a doctor taking her blood pressure while talking to her. It was clear he was doing his best to be patient with the young girl, but Asuka was quickly losing hers.

"...And can you tell me what your name is again?"

"Damnit, I've told you this a million times, it's 'Asuka Langley Sorhyu'! My god! Are you people all retarded?"

"Miss Sorhyu, these exercises are necessary to ensure that you..."

"...THAT WHAT! I KNOW MY OWN FREAKIN' NAME? I'M SICK OF ALL THIS 'PROCEDURE' BULLSHIT!"

"Uh...Hi, Asuka."

She quickly stopped berating the medical practitioner in front of her, then raised her head to see a pair of familiar faces she had mixed feelings about seeing.

"Shinji? 'Wondergirl?' ...What the hell are you two doing here?"

Before they could answer, Asuka stuck up her nose in a familiar display of pride.

"Hmph...Well, I at least _someone_ I know besides Misato is here. You can tell this quack" --she pointed an accusing finger at the doctor on the foot of her bed-- "...that I'm ready to go home now."

"Uhh...well, Asuka..." Shinji suddenly remembered why the redhead had frustrated him so much. He still considered her a friend, but her complete and utter tactlessness made her a tough person to get along with, to say the least. The feeling was beyond mutual, however-- Asuka lost patience with Shinji just as quickly. She let out an exasperated groan.

"Goddamnit, Shinji--I would have thought that after that last Angel, you would have grown a pair already!"

He ignored her embarrasing comment, but suddenly realized something peculiar about what she had said.

"Asuka, what do you mean?"

She stared at him as though he had told her a very bad joke.

"...Are you stupid! The fight with the 9th Angel-- You were the _big hero _after all, I would think _you_ would know what I'm talking about!" She looked a little resentful with herself for bringing the topic up, but it disappeared, replaced by more frustration. Shinji only stared at her.

"...The Ninth? But..."

Before he could finish speaking, he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Misato. She gently squeezed it, indicating that she wanted to speak to him. She grabbed Rei as well, leaving Asuka to continue accusing the medical staff in her room of incompetence or worse.

* * *

"...Misato, what's wrong with her? Doesn't she know what happened?" 

She had taken the two a short ways down the hall, behind a corner out of sight of Asuka's room. They stood close to the wall so as to permit hospital gurneys and orderlies to pass them by unimpeded. Rei stood right beside Shinji, while Misato was hovering a few feet away from both of them.

"Well, there's nothing physically wrong with her...No long-term mental damage... the only abnormality is that there's a gap in her memory."

"...What do you mean, Misato?" Rei had suddenly spoken up, much to both Shinji and Misato's surprise. When the red-eyed girl continued to stare at her guardian expectantly, Misato found her voice.

"...I mean that all her memories are completely intact, but the only thing she doesn't remember is the fight with the 10th Angel."

"...What? I don't get it-- that doesn't answer why she's better now."

"Actually, Shinji, it might have everything to do with it. If she can't remember it, it's like it never happened."

"Well, I guess that makes sense...but why did it happen now?"

Misato sighed.

"...I don't know, Shinji. The whole thing's very strange. The only things we know for sure right now is that there was a blackout in the hospital for approximately 6.2 seconds, during which we detected a Blue pattern along with an AT Field. Then when the power came back on, she was better and the Field had disappeared."

Shinji paled at Misato's words.

"...You mean that an Angel was here?"

"That's what I think."

"But...then why didn't it attack? Why did it come after Asuka? And shouldn't we have heard the alarms if there _was_ an AT Field?"

Misato was fighting down the urge to scream her lungs out in frustration at all the questions she couldn't answer.

"...Like I said, the whole thing's beyond abnormal, Shinji. As for the Angel alarms... the AT Field was gone before we even had a chance to press the button." She sighed and began to walk down one of the hallways. "All right, you two, I'm going to have to check the security cameras, so I'll be here late."

"Wait, Misato--!"

The woman turned her head when Shinji spoke.

"...Thanks for letting us know about Asuka, but... what should we do now?"

"Well, I have to admit I had an ulterior motive in asking you guys to come," she said with a bit of an uncomfortable smile. "...Do you think you can take Asuka home?"

Shinji's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"WHAT! But..."

"...It's not too much trouble, is it?" she asked with a bit of annoyance in her voice. "Don't worry about her, Shinji-- I've filled out all the paperwork already, and besides, I'm sure the doctors want her out of her as much as she does." With that, she turned around and kept walking until she turned down another corridor and was out of sight. Shinji sighed, turning his eyes over to Rei, anxious about how the half-German would react to their new roommate.

_It's not Asuka I'm worried about, Misato..._

* * *

Misato poured herself another cup of coffee from the pot brewing nearby. The stuff was terrible, even by her standards, and there was no creamer or sugar to balance out the awful flavor. Then again, hospital security guards didn't have much to do anyway, so they'd probably gotten used to it from sitting around all day. 

_At least it's caffeine,_ she thought to herself wryly. _God, I need a drink._

She was finding it hard to keep her eyes focused on the wall of TV screens in the small room. The guard had insisted on going through footage of up to the last 12 hours, to make a thurough check of any possible events that could have lead to the recent security anomaly.

"...1725 Hours, no abnormalities detected...1730 Hours, no abnormalities...1735 Hours, no--"

He was interrupted by the sound of a styrofoam cup being crushed behind him, followed by an annoyed-sounding female voice.

"Enough of this crap! just fast-forward to 5 minutes before the blackout!"

"But Major, I'm only following procedure..."

Misato then indicated the metal pips on her coat collar.

"...As your superior officer, I ORDER you to stop boring the hell out of me and hurry up!"

The guard gulped in fear, then swiftly obeyed. Misato sighed to herself; she didn't enjoy calling attention to her rank, but if that's what it took to get these two-bit chumps to be efficient, then so be it. Suddenly something caught her eye in one of the screens, and it was gone before she could react.

"Stop!"

The guard paused the playback.

"I saw something just now...put feed #15 on full screen."

The camera footage from the fifteenth video screen suddenly filled up the entire wall, pushing the other images out of its way.

"Now go back-- slowly."

He turned the Rewind speed dial slowly to the left, making everythin slowly move backwards. She motioned for him to stop as she saw a person stop in front of the directory desk in the video footage. A someone who had what looked like silver hair...

"...Kaworu?"

_What was the Fifth doing here?_ She watched the boy ask the receptionist something, then saw the woman point off as though giving him directions. He waved in response as he walked in the indicated direction, beyond the camera's line of sight.

"...Turn off all camera playbacks except the ones that include that boy."

"Uh...Yes, ma'am."

He pressed a few switches and by eyesight alone, located any footage that included Kaworu. There was one of him walking past the elevators... Another climbing the flight of stairs that led to the second floor... The third floor... The fourth...

"...Ma'am, the subject isn't doing anythi--"

"Shh!" Misato silenced him with a single utterance, her attention focused entirely on the boy as he reached the fifth floor and, leaving the stairwell, proceeded down the hallway. She didn't want to jump to any conclusions, but she suddenly realized she'd had a strange, gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach about Kaworu Nagisa...ever since the first sync test he'd taken nearly a month ago when he'd had such a high score without the core being fitted for him... No, before that even, back to when she'd first gotten word about his arrival. A boy with no past...Just like Rei...she shook her head as an impossible thought entered it.

_No. No matter how similar they are, there can't be a connection like that..._

She came back to reality just as the video Kaworu came to a stop outside Asuka's room.

"Find the camera for Room 303-- do it now!"

Without a word, the guard found it and put it on full screen just as Kaworu walked up to Asuka's bed. He then leaned over her, saying something that Misato couldn't make out...

And then suddenly the feed stopped. The tech switched the screens over to individual camera feedback, but all of them were black, flashing the message "POWER OUTAGE--CAMERA RECORDING DISABLED." After exactly 6.2 seconds, they came back on as if nothing had happened. The images they now displayed suggested otherwise, however.

The hospital was in a state of utter chaos. Doctors ran back and forth in the hallways, patients had fallen over on IV's or were trying to get up, and nurses were rushing to the rooms of people on life support to ensure that the lack of power, however brief, had not resulted in death. Misato managed to pull her eyes away from the disarray and found her eyes on the feed for Room 303.

"...He's gone!"

The guard turned his head to the Major.

"...Ma'am?"

"The Fifth Child-- he's not in the room!" And sure enough, Kaworu had disappeared. There was no sign of him in the outer hallway, or on the stairwells. Misato continued to furiously inspect each screen until she noticed him--or what looked like him, walking calmly away in the outer parking lot.

"Zoom in on Parking Lot camera #1!"

Within seconds, Misato was staring at a much larger image of Kaworu continuing to walk across the lot. But then he did something that confirmed every nagging worry and suspicion that had gone through her head in the past few minutes.

He looked straight at the camera--even though it was about 35 feet above his head-- and smiled. As though he knew he was being watched. Misato stared at the now-paused image on the screen of the pale, red-eyed boy. It took her a moment to find her voice.

"...I want all footage regarding the subject recorded to another tape and delivered directly to me."

The guard nodded as Misato took out her cell phone and contacted NERV headquarters.

"...Hello, Maya? It's Misato...Listen, I want the Fifth Child found at once."

"...Never mind why, just do it as quickly as you can...And have him sent to the Interrogation Room as soon as he's in custody. There are some questions I'd like to ask him."

"...Thanks, Maya. Goodbye."

As she turned to leave, she took one last look at the boy frozen in time on the screen.

_He's always smiling...but I never noticed before now...just how cold those smiles are._


	19. Hebrews

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 19: Hebrews

"...Well, it's about time we got back!" Asuka declared as the cab finally pulled up to Misato's apartment around an hour to midnight. Shinji had been dreading the walk back, especially with a certain testy redhead in tow, but thankfully their guardian had given them the money for a taxi, certain that she would be able to write it off as a 'medical expense.' He got out with Rei and was about to walk around to Asuka's side and open her door when he noticed she was already out. She caught his look of surprise and glared at him.

"What are you staring at, idiot? Not that I can't imagine..."

He managed to hide a blush. Despite the fact that he had been doing no such thing, Asuka had the uncanny ability to make him feel guilty for anything, from things that actually were his fault to the completely uncontrollable factors such as the weather.

"S-sorry...I just thought that you might, uh, need help..."

To neither his nor Rei's surprise, she stuck her chin out proudly as she began to walk toward the elevator to the 10th floor.

"...Hmph! Do you think that I, of all people, need help from some perverted idiot like you! Ha! You've gotten even dumber than before!" She then indulged in a malicious laugh as her male companion sighed in defeat. The entire journey to their apartment was quiet, outside of Asuka's occasionally muttered slights on Shinji, from 'a jellyfish has more spine than that idiot' to 'probably just wanted an opportunity to grope me, the pervert.'

_Well, at least she's no different than before,_ Shinji thought, not sure if it was a good thing or not.

Rei was the first one to reach the door, so she pulled out her keycard and slid it through the lockslot. Asuka, noticing Rei's actions, looked at her suspiciously.

"Hey Wondergirl, why the hell do you have a key? And shouldn't you be getting back to your_lovely_ little hovel?"

Shinji glared at Asuka but she didn't notice, her attention focused on the girl who, as far as she was concerned, was invading her territory.

"...I am currently living with Misato and Shinji. Thus it only makes sense that I have a way to get inside my place of residence."

A fuse blew in Asuka's brain, temporarily leaving her speechless.

"...WHAT! WHY THE HELL DO I HAVE TO LIVE UNDER THE SAME ROOF AS YOU!"

"Asuka, come on! We couldn't just_leave_ her in that place she was staying at!"

"WE COULD TRY! I'll be DAMNED if I have to live with this bitch! What psychotic IDIOT came up with this idea!" She the felt Shinji's hand on her arm, gripping it tightly.

"...That 'idiot' was Misato. And if you have a problem maybe you should bring it up with her."

the volatile Caucasian was stunned by the angry look on Shinji's face for about a second, then jerk her arm away.

"...Fine, whatever! I suppose I can allow Wondergirl to stay here...but only because I'm feeling so charitable! I'm going to bed!" With that, she stormed into the apartment, cursing in German all the way to her room. The boy's brow furrowed as he looked at where she had run to.

"...Well, I guess I should have seen this coming," he sighed to Rei. "...Are you going to be all right around her?"

"...Don't worry, Shinji," she said calmly, as though nothing had happened. "There is little she can do or say to upset me. Besides... I know that she is merely ill-tempered from her recent ordeal."

Shinji smiled in spite of himself. How she could be so patient with Asuka, a girl who wasn't even remotely nice to her, was quite admirable as far as he was concerned.

"...It is late," the blue-haired girl said as she stepped across the threshold. "...We should go to bed. And Shinji..."

He looked at her as she turned her head back in his direction.

"...I think it would be wise to avoid mentioning anything regarding the last two Angels around Asuka."

Shinji nodded severely. There was no way of being able to know how she would react if she found out how much she had missed...

* * *

Asuka awoke the next morning to the sunlight streaming through the windows. She rubbed her eyes, glad to be back, yet she couldn't shake an odd nagging in the back of her head. 

_Everything looks exactly the same as I left it... but I can't help but feel like I'm forgetting something important. They said I've been asleep for a month, but beyond that...nothing. Was I really hurt by the Angel that badly?_

She shook the strange thoughts from her head.

"Snap out of it, Asuka," she sternly told herself. Even if something had happened, there was nothing she could do about it now. "...Just focus on moving ahead."

She put on a pair of sleep pants before opening the door and blindly heading toward the kitchen, where she found Shinji cooking breakfast and Rei helping him. She slinked up behind them, neither noticing she was there.

"...Well, well, now I can see why you were so_insistent_ for Wondergirl to stay, Shinji," Asuka said in a mocking voice. To her satisfaction, the boy turned around surprised, his face as red as her hair, and she enjoyed another laugh at his expense. She didn't notice that he failed to deny her accusation. Rei merely looked around to acknowledge the other girl's presence.

"...Good morning, Asuka."

The girl suddenly stopped laughing at hearing Rei use her first name.

"...Why are you acting so friendly, Wondergirl?" she said with a not-too-subtle hint of sarcasm.

"I am merely addressing you by your name because we are all living in the same location now. Familiarity has nothing to do with it."

Shinji could tell that Rei was just saying it like it was, not to be malicious, but the former Pilot of Unit-02 narrowed her eyes.

"...Well, if you want to start something right now, I'm game for it, Wondergirl."

Shinji thought for a minute that sparks were ready to start flying, but after a few tense moments Asuka uncharacteristically decided that discretion was the better part of valor.

"...But I'm hungry, so let's just forget about it." The redhead walked over to the table where there were already place settings and set herself down.

"...Asuka, are you okay?" Shinji said, surprised that his belligerent roommate would pass up the chance to start a fight with Rei. She turned her puppy-dog eyes on the boy and whimpered as though at the brink of tears.

"N-no, S-S-Shinji...d-d-do you know w-why?...BECAUSE I'M FREAKIN' STARVING!" she finished on a yell that could have cracked glass. She turned her head to stare at the wall, apparently finding it more interesting than the people cooking in front of her. He had gone back to his cooking when he heard Asuka mutter under her breath.

"Besides...Now I have to live with a girl who's my age--I suppose I can make an effort to tolerate her." Shinji blinked, and knowing what she really meant, smiled.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Asuka made an effort to at least treat Rei as though she didn't find her presence repulsive. It was clear she was getting frustrated, though; while Shinji had been able to make a great many strides with the introverted girl over the last week, she still retained many of the inclinations she had grown up with for the past fourteen years. The habit that was beginning to get on the redhead's nerves the most, however, was her 'five-word-or-less' answers to questions while they were busy washing the dishes from dinner. 

"So...how has Misato been without me around?"

"...She seems acceptable."

"Shinji can at least cook well, huh?"

"Yes."

"...Has Shinji tried to attack you yet?" she added mischeviously, to try and get a reaction out of the stoic girl.

"No."

"GODDAMNIT, WONDERGIRL, I'M TRYING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION HERE AND YOUR LITTLE 'RESPONSES' ARE PISSING ME OFF!"

Asuka threw down her washrag in frustration, then turned angrily to Rei. Shinji ran in from in front of the TV, ready to step in as soon as things got ugly. Rei kept her eyes fixed on the cauldron of fury in front of her, not even batting an eyelash at Asuka's obvious attempts to assert her superiority.

"GOD, HOW COULD I EVEN THINK THAT LIVING WITH YOU WAS POSSIBLE? COULD YOU BOTHER **TRYING** TO ACT LIKE YOU'RE HUMAN?"

Shinji saw Rei's eyes flash at the remark that had inadvertently hit too close to home. The pale girl now turned her face to Asuka's, who seemed slightly surprised at the angry look that Rei was now displaying. When she spoke, however, her voice was as quiet and composed as it always was.

"Perhaps I could act more 'human'... if you could make an effort to stop being a bitch."

At that moment, the world stopped turning. Both Shinji and Asuka's eyes had become three times their normal size, and even Rei seemed shocked by what she had said. She was about to apologize when Asuka took her by surprise as well.

She started to laugh. She was laughing so hard that tears were trickling down her face and she literally collapsed onto the floor. And it wasn't malicious laughter, like Shinji was used to hearing from her, either. Both Rei and Shinji stared at her as though she was an imposter Asuka, and she had the real one tied up somewhere.

"...Asuka?" Shinji finally said with some hesitation.

"T...that was great! Oh my...God... Rei, I...I had no idea that...that you had a sense of humor!" she managed to get out in between breaths.

"...'Sense of humor?'" Rei was confused again. Why did she seem to elicit these responses from others when she was being serious?

"Wait...You mean you're not mad?" Shinji asked, equally confused that Asuka would take someone calling her a 'bitch' to her face, much less Rei, without a frenzied attempt to kill her. At this point, Asuka had finally managed to calm down, and still wheezing for air, was able to pull herself up off the ground.

"W...well, I guess...I've had it coming for a while. And hey, she finally showed SOME feeling--I can't blame her for that--not too much." She then turned and gave Rei a mock glare. "...Just don't do it again, Rei. I'd 'hate' to have to beat you up." She smiled and headed back to the dishes.

Rei was speechless. She never thought she would be angry enough to ever tell Asuka what she really thought about her, and had found it even less likely to believe that Asuka would take it so...well. Suddenly, she realized something odd about how Asuka had addressed her. It hadn't been her normal nickname of 'Wondergirl'...

"You...called me Rei."

Asuka turned away from her dishes to give the red-eyed girl a frustrated grin.

"Well, of course I did, you idiot! After all, we're all 'living under the same roof,' or something like that, right? God, you're as dense as Shinji..."

Rei didn't quite understand that Asuka was really trying to be friends with her-- the girl could hardly understand herself, much less the near-bipolar nature of this strange half-German. But she smiled nontheless, glad to no longer be called by a derogatory name and at being treated with some degree of kindness from Asuka. She joined her roommate at the sink and proceeded to continue helping her, the tension from the entire day now gone.

_Well, at least they won't kill each other right away,_ Shinji thought happily.

A/N: Well, I'm going to try and make Rei and Asuka friends...for a little while, at least. But you know what they say about teaching an old dog new tricks...

BTW, I don't know if 'lockslot' is a real word or not, so don't hate me for using it, English police! I don't know what else you'd call those card reader thingsfor mechanical doors anyway... : P


	20. Proverbs

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 20: Proverbs

Misato was waiting for about an hour before Section 2 Agents managed to locate Kaworu. She grimaced to herself-- usually it would only take Section 2 a little over twenty minutes to perform a task of this sort-- he must have been hiding quite well in order to avoid detection for so long. After ten minutes, the boy was finally brought before her. He wasn't handcuffed; he appeared to have come of his own free will. The agents then asked her if she needed assistance, but she politely declined them, her eyes focused on the Fifth Child.

"...Have a seat, Kaworu."

She indicated a chair sitting in the center of the room, below a bright floodlamp. Without speaking he walked calmly over to the chair and sat.down, the light illuminating his features but throwing other aspects of his anatomy into the shadows.

"All right, Kaworu. I think you know why you're here, don't you?"

The boy was silent, but smiled sweetly at his commanding officer while the light reflected off his red eyes, giving him an eerie appearance. Misato was not one to be intimidated by a trick of the eye, however.

"...I have some questions I'd like to ask you about what happened to Asuka Langley Sorhyu at the hospital 5 hours ago."

At this, the boy finally spoke.

"Oh! What happened to Miss Sorhyu?"

"Don't play dumb! It'll only make things worse for you."

Misato let the threat hang in the air while she walked up to him.

"...Now...What did you do to Asuka? I want the truth."

Kaworu gave her a confused expression.

"...I'm afraid I don't understand, Major. I have not been to the hospital since I visited the First a few weeks ago. You remember-- you sent me after all."

His smug grin was quickly raising Misato's blood pressure; his attempts at ignorance were beyond aggravating. But that would only make the eventual shock of being trapped by his own words all the more satisfying. She grabbed the security tape from a nearby table and pushed it into a VCR/TV that was mounted into the wall.

"...I'd like you to look at this, Kaworu...Security camera footage of the hospital at approximately 8:39 this evening."

Kaworu didn't say a word as the VCR slowly synched up with the tape.

_Hmm...how troublesome._ He then focused his thoughts entirely on the cassette.

As the tape started, Misato couldn't help but smirk to herself-- there'd be no way he could deny THIS. But when it showed the footage of the hospital's Directory Desk, she saw something peculiar...or rather, she _didn't_ see something. Kaworu had somehow disappeared from the footage. She started to worry when he wasn't in the shot of the front of the elevators, or climbing the stairs-- she fast forwarded the tape and didn't see a single glimpse of him where he should have been.

"...I'm sorry, Major... but what is it I'm supposed to be looking at?"

The calm and innocent words of the Fifth Child derailed Misato's train of thought. She whipped her head around to see him still sitting in his seat, with a smug look on his face. Her fist was trembling and her face was frozen somewhere between shock and fury.

"What...did you just do?"

"...Truth is a very strange thing, Major Katsuragi," he uttered passively. "...Instead of there being a single truth that defines existense, there are many-- enough for every being to have its own grasp of reality."

Misato walked up to him, then planted her hands on both arms of the chair and leaned in so her face was only inches from the silver-haired boy. Despite his bravado, Kaworu flinched slightly at Misato's face, which seemed to glow with an unspeakable anger. Her voice was a dangerous whisper as she spoke.

"...If you did _anything_ to hurt her, I swear to God I'll..."

"...You'll what?" Kaworu had regained his composure, and his patronizing smile had returned. "As far as that recording indicates, I was nowhere near the hospital at the time you specified. And if you were to return to there and make a full inquiry as to my presence, you would find no one who could recall my presence."

The violet-haired woman's eyes softened in shock as the significance of his statement hit her. She backed away slowly, then ran to the door and opened it. She found the two guards from before stationed outside it.

"You two-- I have to check something. Make sure he stays here."

The two agents looked at each other curiously, then at Misato.

"Major Katsuragi, you need to finish interrogating the prisoner before you can--" The Major shot him a look that could wilt flowers and he was instantly quiet.

"Just do as I say! Lock the door and make sure he doesn't get out!"

Misato ran down the hallway, to the parking garage, and sped a short way down the road to the NERV Medical Branch. All the while, she was frantically thinking.

_If there's no evidence, then..._

* * *

Misato had left the interrogation room for the hospital at about 25 minutes after midnight. She returned around 2:00 in the morning, her face blank and her mind in a state of complete disbelief. 

Not a single person at the hospital recognized Kaworu's picture. Not even the woman at the directory desk, who had been the only one to actually speak to the boy, could recall having seen him that day. She now had nothing-- even the original security archives had been changed, he wasn't in any of them. As she walked back to the interrogation room, one of the Section 2 agents walked up to meet her.

"...Is he still there?" She asked in a defeated voice.

"The prisoner has not left the room."

"Good. I'd like it kept that way. Move him down to the detention area and--"

Before she could finish, both agents pressed their earpieces in closer, apparently listening to a call. The one who had walked up to Misato spoke.

"Major Katsuragi, Commander Ikari has requested that you release Kaworu Nagisa immediately."

Misato's eyes popped out of her head.

"WHAT! After what's just happened? This 'boy' needs to be questioned and evaluated regarding this incident!"

"...The Commander also wanted to remind you that without evidence of wrongdoing, it is a crime to hold a person indefinitely for arbitrary reasons. He said that to refuse would result in severe punishment."

If Gendo Ikari had been in the Major's presence at that moment, she would not have hesitated to shoot him. The hypocrisy of the Commander was beyond appalling to her--it took every last ounce of self-control to steady her trembling hand and open the door. She didn't even look at Kaworu as he turned his head in her direction.

"...You're free to go," she whispered, struggling to keep her voice below a scream. Kaworu stood up and smiled at the Major. He didn't speak as he made his way to the exit, but whispered into Misato's ear as he passed, so that the agents didn't hear him.

"...It would seem as though_my_ truth was the correct one, Major Katsuragi."

Misato waited until the boy and the agents escorting him had gone down the long hallway and turned the corner before slamming her fist into the doorframe.

"...GODDAMNIT!"

* * *

Gendo hung up the phone after he had finished speaking to the agents. As he sat in his office with his fingers tented in front of him, Fuyutsuki spoke. 

"...Should we have let that boy go?"

"We cannot do anything to him at this point. SEELE would take action if we did anything that would suggest we were suspicious of him." He leafed through the Asuka's medical file absentmindedly.

"...She should not have come back as soon as she did," the older man said with some severity.

"Yes. Current events have gone far beyond the boundaries of our scenario. But if _we_ haven't forseen this, then it must be a shock to the old men, as well." Gendo managed to hide his look of worry from Fuyutsuki. "We can do nothing now but wait...and then act when the opportunity presents itself."

A/N: I've been getting a lot of questions about my chapter titles, so I'm going to answer them once and for all right now: My chapter titles are all taken from books of the Bible. I'm not a bible nut or anything like that, I just thought it would be kinda cool 'cause I noticed that no one else had thought to do it-- now it just seems sort of pretentious : ) Anyway, thanks to everyone who's taken an interest in this fic! Now that I've broken the 20-chapther mark, I hope you'll all stick with me for the remainder of the story!


	21. Leviticus

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 21: Leviticus

When Misato finally managed to get home, she was worn out-- both from the ordeal with Kaworu and from another long shift at NERV. She had tried her best to hide her anger over the injustice and her own powerlessness of the situation, but she apparently hadn't done a good job-- practically everyone working had stopped her at some point and asked her if something was bothering her.

_Well, hopefully these guys won't pry too much. I don't want to worry them just yet..._

She unlocked the door to gaze upon what could possibly be the most unbelievable thing she would ever see in her life.

Shinji, Rei and Asuka were sitting together on the couch, watching TV. And more than that, Asuka didn't have her hands at Rei's throat, nor was she yelling at Shinji. The sound of the door shutting behind her alerted the children to their guardian's presence. They were about to greet her when Misato beat them to it.

"Okay...Who are you, and where's Asuka?" The redhead rolled her eyes indignantly at Misato's sad attempt at a joke.

"...And 'welcome back' to you too, Misato," she retorted darkly, one of her eyebrows arched. Rei looked at the other girl with a confused expression, having missed the joke, while Shinji ignored Asuka and looked over his shoulder at Misato.

"Hey, Misato, you're back awfully late."

"Hmph. Tell me about it. Actually, don't bother-- I already know." She smiled wryly as she threw her coat onto the floor (eliciting a groan from the obsessively clean Shinji) and headed straight to fridge for her necessary dosage of beer. Grabbing the nearest can, she popped the top and took a swig. She bellowed her trademark beer yell ("YEEHAWW!"), which made Shinji and Asuka sigh, but caused Rei to jump.

"...Well, I think it's officially time for bed," Asuka said, not wanting to be around a drunk Misato at 10:00 in the evening. She got up and headed to her room, waving goodnight to the other residents as she went. Shinji decided that he was thirsty, so he got up and headed for the kitchen.

"Do you want anything?" he asked Rei as he got up.

"...I would like a glass of water," she admitted. He nodded, then went to the fridge to grab a soda (quite a feat, considering the 5/1 beer-to-any other drink in the fridge ratio). As he turned around to grab Rei's glass, he noticed Misato sitting at the table, nursing her beer with a pensive look on her face.

That's the second time in two days I've seen her like that, he observed. Last time she was like that because of Rei...Is that what's still bothering her?

"Misato?" He tried to catch her attention, but she was focused entirely on what appeared to be a soaked-in coffee ring on the table's surface. Her brain eventually snapped back to the present, and she turned her head to Shinji, smiling.

"Hey, Shinji-- how'd you guys do today?"

"Oh, uh... not bad. Asuka actually tried to make friends with Rei."

Misato nearly spit out the whole of her drink into the boy's face at that comment. Only through sheer luck did she manage to contain her shock at all.

"Are you serious? This is OUR Asuka you're talking about, right?"

"Yeah, I was surprised too," Shinji agreed. "...But I guess she decided that, since she couldn't do anything about Rei being here, she'd just grit her teeth and bear it." Misato took another swig as she nodded significantly. She set the now finished beer can back on the table, letting it sit there.

"Hmm...Now THAT sounds more like Asuka," Misato chuckled. "...In that case, it'll just be a matter of time before she goes back to her old ways."

"...Oh, yeah..." To be honest, Shinji had found that Asuka's behavior towards Rei made her seem... well, somewhat tolerable. He didn't like the idea of being around her once she got tired of trying to be nice to his pale companion. "By the way... did you happen to find out anything about...the hospital thing?"

For a moment, Shinji thought he must have said something wrong-- the Major's smile and pleasant demeanor vanished, to be replaced by the worried look he had seen earlier.

"Oh... There wasn't anything on security, so... we have nothing to go on." Shinji stared at her in disbelief.

"Really? And you were there the whole night?" She shrugged her shoulders in response, then sighed as though she was trying to solve a difficult homework problem.

"...That's how these things go. Anyway, I'm glad that Asuka is making an attempt to be civil-- she must have been sicker than I thought."

Shinji smiled at his guardian's joke, then went to the sink to fill up the glass he had promised Rei. As the liquid sprayed from the tap, he thought about how quickly Misato had changed the subject, and got a sick feeling in his stomach. He ignored it and went back into the living room.

* * *

Later that night, Misato was staring at the ceiling from her futon. Whether it was her thoughts keeping her awake or simply being too worn out to sleep, she wasn't sure. But as long as she was suffering from insomnia anyway, she decided to try and put her fears to rest. 

_Just what IS the Fifth Child, anyway? Maybe I just imagined seeing him there..._

She shook the thought out of her head.

_No. I wasn't imagining anything-- he WAS there. But how did he manage to doctor the tape like that? Could that be why Section 2 was took so long to find him? Or maybe..._

"...Or maybe I've been suspicious of the wrong kid," she uttered aloud into the darkness as an image of the First Child came to mind. After a while, she was finally able to nod off, but not quite soundly.

* * *

"Good morning, Rei." 

The girl in question had just opened the door to Shinji's room and walked out to find him standing over the stove in the kitchen, turning around at the waist to smile at her. She merely smiled in return, but to the boy it was more than enough of a greeting. She walked in and stood near him. He didn't flinch when she moved close; he was gradually getting used to nonverbal, subtle displays of affection like this. Since Shinji still wasn't comfortable with the idea of holding hands, kissing and everything that seemed to go with a relationship, this worked just as well for him.

"...What are you making?" she asked as she looked over his shoulder.

"Oh, I thought I'd try this recipe for chocolate chip pancakes." He indicated a list of instructions that were sitting on the counter nearby. "I went to the store this morning and bought some more fruit, so we can make a salad out of that."

"...That would be nice," the pale girl affirmed. The truth was that since she'd been staying in this house, she had begun to find that eating could be a pleasant experience--she had lived on the bare minimum of nutrition for so long that she had never realized that there was such a variety of flavor and color available to her. But even that wasn't entirely the reason she looked forward to meals now, breakfast in particular.

"...Is there something I can do to help you, Shinji?"

"Oh, yeah...If you want to get some of the fruit cut up, that'd be good." She wordlessly moved over to the refrigerator, and finding a bag wedged in between a gap in Misato's beer wall, pulled it out, placed it on the counter, grabbed a knife and began to slice into a cantelope with great care and precision.

It was for moments like this that she now felt a strange spark, something that made her happy...actually happy... to greet the day. Somehow just being in this small kitchen with Shinji, idly preparing a meal, felt more real to her than anything she had ever felt in her life. She wasn't sure how to put this feeling into words properly though, so she simply remained quiet, the only sounds in the apartment being the hiss of batter on hot metal and the steady sound of a blade cutting smoothly through fruit.

A loud yawn shattered the children's temporary Eden, and both raised their heads as Asuka stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Shinji sighed before greeting their other roommate, whose presence he was almost ashamed to admit he had somehow forgotten all about at the moment.

"Morning, Asuka." The redhead's half-asleep expression quickly turned into a cold glare.

"What was THAT, Shinji? Do I detect a hint of _resentment _in that voice of yours?"

"Uh, sorry..." he uttered reflexively, before he could stop himself. Sure enough...

"GOD! You're ALWAYS apologizing! I swear, if I had a dime for every time I heard you say that, I'd be a freakin' millionaire!" As she continued to rant, she walked over to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. "...At least you had the sense to use the good stuff today," she muttered as she drank the coffee black, ignoring the sugar on the counter nearby.

"...I did not find yesterday's coffee to be unpleasant," Rei uttered quietly, finally acknowledging her female companion.

"Hmph. Well, you obviously haven't been drinking coffee for as long as I have, Rei." The girl stuck her chest out, as though the fact was something to be in awe of. Shinji snickered and she defensively turned in his direction again, regarding the boy with a look of contempt. "...Just finish making breakfast, you idiot!" As Shinji turned his attention back to his skillet, Rei noticed a strange look on Asuka's face as she continued to look in his direction. She turned back to her task, but felt a strange sort of anxiety as she thought about the half-German girl's face when Shinji was looking the other way.


	22. Samuel I

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 22: Samuel I

"All right, you guys-- you're done for the day. Come out now."

Misato's voice came over the intercom in the four Entry Plugs to signal the end of the syncronization test. Shinji opened his eyes, roused from his half-meditative state, and taking a breath, waited for the LCL in his Plug to drain out.

* * *

The Major walked up to Maya, who was busy printing out the results. 

"...So how are they doing?" At Misato's words, the short-haired girl turned to her superior and smiled.

"Well, Shinji's ratio's gone up a bit...Same for Rei. Actually, hers is the best I think I've ever seen it at." Misato nodded appraisingly, then her expression became serious.

"...And Asuka?"

"See for yourself," Maya said as she handed the printout to Misato. She took it and saw that Asuka's was the highest of the three. She breathed a sigh of relief at this discovery.

"That's a good thing. I was afraid that it might still be affected by the 10th Angel, but it doesn't look like there were any residual effects at all."

"Major...I don't want to sound rude, but why isn't the Fifth Child here?"

Misato's smile disappeared instantly at the mention of Kaworu. She grimaced as she looked out the observation window and saw the blue-eyed girl on the catwalk, waiting impatiently for her fellow pilots.

"Because I don't know what will happen... if Asuka finds out she's been replaced."

* * *

The three children walked towards NERV's main exit, Asuka humming gleefully to herself in front while Shinji and Rei brought up the rear. 

"...Well, as usual, I'm the one on top, losers!" Asuka said proudly. Shinji sighed, knowing that it was better to say nothing than anything that would give her an excuse to wail on him, and Rei wisely chose to follow suit. As they crossed a street on their way back to the house, the girl in front headed the opposite direction of her two companions.

"Hey, where are you going Asuka?" Shinji asked curiously. In response he got the girl's angry glare again.

"Are you my mother, idiot? I'm going shopping." She then prepared to continue on her way, but stopped mid-stride and turned around. "Hey, come on, you," she said in a would-be casual voice. Shinji arched an eyebrow, then tentatively moved in her direction when Asuka spoke again. "Not _you_, you pervert! I meant HER!" She pointed in Rei's direction, much to the pale girl's surprise.

"...Me?..." Asuka sighed as though she were talking to a very slow preschooler.

"YES,YOU! ...Come on, it'll be fun." Asuka's sudden shift from agitated yelling to friendly demeanor made Rei hesitant, not sure that the half-German girl was the safest person to be around. She turned to Shinji, as though asking for his permission, but he only blushed and muttered something about "you should do what you want to." After much consideration, Rei walked up to her roommate and the two girls headed down the street. Shinji frowned a little as he continued to walk back to the apartment (as he had hoped for some more time alone with Rei), but smiled at the thought of the two of them shopping together.

_Well, I can't force her to be around me all the time. And besides, it'll be nice for her to spend some time with another girl._

* * *

It had happened again. Asuka wasn't entirely sure, but she noticed the odd sort of energy that had passed between Shinji and Rei. She'd never tell either of them, but she got a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach when she saw them together--especially now, when they were all living in the same house. She'd felt it the most when she walked in on them making breakfast the day after she had gotten back from the hospital. He seemed so content, and Rei actually looked like she was... 

_No. There's no way. He's got no spine and she's got about as much emotion as an alarm clock. Those two would never..._

"...Asuka?"

She jumped as she fell out of her trance and noticed Rei's face about half a foot from her own.

"Ahh! Don't scare me like that!"

"I apologize. But you said you would decide where we will be going." Asuka looked in front of her and noticed she was standing in front of the mall directory map. She observed the map like a child in a candy store.

"Hmm...Well, this place has good clothes...and so does this one," Asuka indicated a few locations on directory with her finger. "Those are good places as any to start at." She then headed down the atrium, with Rei following close behind.

* * *

"So..." Asuka broke the silence in the changing room from her cubicle, "...How long were you at the apartment before I got back?" 

"...Approximately four days. Misato invited me," Rei answered from her own space nearby.

"Oh really?" The blue-eyed Caucasian grinned to herself. It seemed like Misato just had a thing for 'adopting' people-- and animals, if Pen-Pen was included.

Rei was trying on a white blouse Asuka had recommended to her. It felt odd, looking at clothes in the mirror to see which ones looked best-- she really did feel like a doll right now. She was a little surprised when Asuka spoke again.

"Well, I for one feel sorry that you to have to live with that idiot too."

"...Who do you mean?"

"Who do I _mean?_ Shinji, of course!" the other girl said indignantly, as though it should have been the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh...I see." The nonconfrontational tone of Rei's voice made Asuka suspicious. No way she would just let the matter drop.

"You mean you couldn't tell?"

"...No. He has his faults, as all people do, but he is actually a very nice person."

Asuka only huffed skeptically in response.

"...In fact, I have seen nothing in his demeanor, save for a lack of assertiveness, to affirm that your claims of his poor character are in any way validated."

"W-well, then you obviously haven't spent enough time living under the same house with him! He's a total pervert and--"

"...'A spineless wimp,' correct?" Asuka stopped in mid-rant as Rei finished her sentence for her. "...For a person who graduated from university-level education the the age of fourteen, your arguments are repetitive and unconvincing."

An uncomfortable silence followed Rei's statement. The pale girl took off the blouse and put it on its hangar, having decided to purchase it. She waited outside the changing rooms as Asuka finished, then the two went to the register to pay.

* * *

They found their way from the mall to a little cafe that sat a half-block from the train station that would bring them home. Since they still had time before they needed to get back, Asuka decided to stop inside and get a piece of cake and coffee. Rei agreed, although she felt certain the strong-willed Eva pilot would have gone in regardless of her companion's opinion. After Asuka had ordered a slice of cheesecake and coerced Rei into a piece of apple pie, the two sat down at a small table. Even though they had never gotten along before, any casual observer would have thought they were old friends. After they finished their desserts, the two girls focused on their coffee. 

"...Asuka?"

"Mmm?" the redhead lowered the cup of coffee from her lips (black, like this morning, Rei noted) and mumbled in response to Rei's effort to gain her attention.

"...Is there a reason you hate Shinji so much?"

Asuka's eyes widened slightly at Rei's offhand question, and she only barely managed to hide the slight redness on her cheeks with her cup.

"Well...Not really, I guess. It's more that..." She was quiet as she looked off to the side, as though she was trying to think of what to say but couldn't put it properly into words. Rei silently observed her roommate with interest. It was strange to see Asuka this reserved; she was normally so boisterous that it was nearly intolerable.

_She's acting almost like me,_ Rei thought wryly to herself as she sipped from her own cup, which she had filled with creamer and sugar, still unused to the acrid taste of the beans.

"...Anyway, why are you so interested, Rei?" Asuka had returned to her normal demeanor, and she was grinning mischeviously at the red-eyed girl sitting across from her. Asuka's question, as well as her sudden reversal of control of the conversation, took Rei by surprise, and she had to collect her thoughts before she could answer.

"...I was simply expressing curiosity--"

"Whatever." Asuka's grin slackened inperceptibly when she half-whispered the next question.

"...Do you like him?"

Rei silently considered her friend's query. She was about to respond positively when Asuka suddenly broke out into laughter.

"W-who am I kidding? No way _that_ would ever happen!" the redhead managed to say between spasms of laughter. She didn't notice Rei's face drop slightly at her words, but Asuka still thought that Rei was incapable of changing facial expressions, so she wouldn't have noticed it anyway. "...C'mon, we'd better get going," she said as she drained her cup and got out of her seat, leaving a handful of change for the tip.

"...Yes." Rei followed her quietly, Asuka's comment still ringing in her ears.

_

* * *

_

_Why does Asuka find it so difficult to believe that Shinji and I could be together?_

Rei's thoughts were wandering as they rode the train back home, both standing with their purchases due to a packed train. She knew that this was just the way Asuka was (she had gotten the sense that the girl's actions towards others did not necessarily reflect her true opinions of them), but for someone to all but say to her face that she shouldn't be with Shinji hurt. She looked over at the redhead standing a few feet from her, her hand hanging onto the support handles dangling from the roof of the monorail. She remembered the way Asuka had not answered her when she asked about why she acted so hostile toward Shinji, as well as the strange expression on her face when Shinji wasn't looking. It bothered her, but why she couldn't quite understand.

_Could Asuka..._

She tried to shake the possibility from her head, but somehow an image of Asuka hand intertwined with Shinji's entered her mind. She tried to ignore it, she knew she was being paranoid, but every time she did, it came back stronger than before.

_No. I...I don't want..._

As she tried to ignore the painful feeling that was growing from thinking about Shinji leaving her, she didn't notice the silver-haired Kaworu watching them from behind a crowd of people, safely out of the girl's line of sight.

A/N: Yes, there's a bit of a love triangle here--And yes, it actually has an impact on the story; ) Anyway, I can't believe I'm already at 22 chapters! I didn't really mean for it to get this long, but this thing just seems to have taken on a life of its own. I just keep running into more things and relationships that I want to develop and it just keeps getting longer!At this rateI'll run out of Bible books to name chapters after... : ) The end's still a ways away, so please don't lose patience with me! See you next chapter!


	23. Samuel II

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same As Chapter 1.

Chapter 23: Samuel II

The sound of a sliding mechanical door pulled Shinji's attention away from the boiling noodles he was standing over, and the click of shoes on tile confirmed that his two other roommates had returned.

"Hey, you two-- dinner's almost ready, okay?" he said with a smile as Rei entered the kitchen with her bag, Asuka only a few seconds behind her.

"You mean I have to wait _longer?_" the redhead complained as she set her bags on the table carelessly. "Jeez, Shinji, I would have THOUGHT you'd have dinner ready by now!" The boy sighed at the typical display of aggravation and impatience that served as a greeting from Asuka. "Don't sigh at me-- just finish up, I'm hungry!"

Meanwhile, Rei was busy collecting plates from the cupboard, her thoughts far from where her hands were occupied. She set the three dishes at the table in their appropriate places, then turned around to get glasses and chopsticks when Shinji stopped her.

"Rei, you don't have to do that-- Asuka, can you finish setting the table?"

Asuka stared at him as though he had just insulted and spit on the grave of every last relative that had ever preceded her. Then, with much under-the-breath grumbling and cursing in German, she got up from the seat she had been slumped in and carelessly set the offending utensils on the table complete with a symphony of bangs and slams. She then turned around glaring daggers at the apartment's only designated cook as she spoke in a voice that dripped venom.

"Anything...else..._Shinji?_"

The poor boy's eyes had grown as big as the dinner plates, and his voice seemed to have fled in fear after the redhead's display of annoyance at being asked by one so low on the evolutionary scale as he to help with dinner.

"W-w-well, uhh... c-c-can you take your bags to, uh...your room p-please...?"

She looked like she could have killed him right then and there, pushed over the edge by a combination of her male roommate's display of cowardice and his motherly nagging. However, she chose instead to continue glaring at him as she walked to thetable where she had dropped her purchases from earlier and stomped to her room. After Asuka was safely out of earshot, Shinji clutched his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Man...what's with _her_? She always has to be like that..." he said to himself as he turned back to the stove to check the steaily bubbling tomato sauce on the second burner. Rei was standing near the sink opposite him, her eyes on the boy but not really watching him. She stayed in that trance until she noticed Shinji gently calling her name.

"...How was shopping? Did you find anything you liked?"

Rei felt slightly detached from the conversation. _What does he mean?... Wait...I did go shopping..._ She was able to connect Shinji's words with her actions of the day only when her eyes happened to fall on the paper sack near her feet.

"Oh...yes. It was...enjoyable..."

"...Rei, are you all right?" The pale girl's eyes fell on Shinji again, making eye contact with him for the first time that evening. When she only continued to stare at him, he continued a little more hesitantly. "It's just, well...it seems like something's bothering you."

She didn't answer the query, but instead chose to bend down and pick up her bag, then left the kitchen.

"...I should put my things away as well."

"O-okay..."

She then walked silently around the corner and down the hall. As he watched her go, he felt a strange uncertainty that held his attention.

_Her eyes...they're just like they were when..._

His mind travelled slowly back to the night when she had been sitting out on the patio, staring at the rain. But before he could continue his train of thought, a splash of burning hot water from the too-close-to-being-overcooked noodles shook him out of his reverie, and he focused the whole of his attention on making sure his dinner wasn't ruined.

* * *

Dinner that night was a lively affair, with plenty of conversation between the three children. To be honest, it was more that Asuka was doing most of the talking (about the frustration of shopping with Rei, who had no idea what she liked and simply went with whatever Asuka found that would match her) while Shinji would occasionally interject or make feeble attempts at changing the subject. The pale girl sitting at the other end of the table never spoke while she slowly ate her spaghetti, but stole quiet glances at the redhead and the boy who was sitting near her. 

"...Isn't that right, Rei?...Rei?...Hey, Earth to Wondergirl!"

Rei managed to ignore the now-empty plate she was staring at to see Asuka's impatient glare focused on her now.

"I was asking you if you thought that register guy was being a complete asshole or not!" Before the blue-haired girl could answer, Asuka cut her off again. "...Well, of course you agree with me--I mean, how could a rude little punk like THAT get a job in customer service anyway? Sometimes it just seems to me like this whole country is backward..."

With attention once again away from her, Rei quietly picked up her plate and took it to the sink. After she had cleaned it properly, she set it back in its proper cupboard and walked out to the TV room. She didn't notice that Shinji's concerned eyes had been fixed on her since she had gotten up, and were not on the obstreperous teenager he sat beside, who continued to rant as though the whole world was listening.

* * *

Once again, all three found themselves in front of the idiot box after they had finished cleaning up the remains of dinner. Asuka was fading in and out, not really paying attention, but Rei and Shinji were quietly enjoying the show, the title of which Asuka didn't care enough to learn. After her drooping head had banged into the couch's arm for the third time, the redhead decided she had endured enough. 

"Well, I'm going to bed."

"Wait, Asuka...don't you want to finish watching?" Shinji asked, surprised. In response, she gave him another of her trademark glares, the fury of which was stifled significantly by the sleepiness in her eyes and a wide yawn.

"You...you know I can't stand this 'pre-Second Impact' garbage. How you two are still awake is beyond me." With that she turned around, waving 'good night' as she headed to her room. Shinji's eyes were headed back to the TV as they fell on Rei, who looked like she wasn't really watching the show anymore.

"...Rei..."

She shifted her eyes in his direction, only to find that his were waiting to meet with hers. They sat like that for about a minute, Shinji trying to find the words he needed to break the silence. "...Tell me, what's wrong?"

_...Everything. I was so certain before that you cared about me, but now I feel so strange. I feel like I'm going to lose you to Asuka. I feel like no matter how much I want to, I can't express how I feel about you. I feel like you're just humoring me because you know I'm not human. I'm afraid I'm just a substitute for Asuka because I'm easy for you to approach. I hate myself for never having said once that I love you--I thought I didn't need to before, but now I'm scared that if I don't, you'll get tired of me..._

All these thoughts ran through the young girl's head, but instead she only whispered, "...Nothing." Shinji only continued to stare at her while she looked back at the TV, trying to signal that she didn't want to talk anymore.

"Rei, I...I know that something's on your mind...did Asuka say something to you while you two were out?" The girl was surprised at how close Shinji had come to the source of her mental disquiet. He was so kind, but... she didn't want him to be sympathetic to her right now. She needed to him to know that she loved him. She knew he'dtoldher before, but...

To Shinji's surprise, she tentatively put her hand on his.

* * *

Asuka slipped on an oversized shirt from her chest of drawers, the bagginess of which easily covered her down to her knees. 

_Hmph. If anyone at school caught me like this..._ she thought wryly to herself, leaving the sentence unfinished. She was about to lay down when she suddenly remembered her unused toothbrush in the bathroom.

_I guess I might as well...Otherwise Misato'll have a fit._

She pushed herself up from the ground and walked casually to the door.

* * *

Shinji blinked and saw that Rei's eyes were piercing him, a desperation there he had never seen before. He tried to speak, but the intensity of her gaze left him without words. 

"...Shinji..." Rei's voice was trembling slightly, as though afraid of what she was doing. "I..."

Yet no matter how much she wanted to say it...the words refused to come out. Rei bowed her head, her sky-blue bangs concealing her face. Shinji understood what she was trying to tell him, and smiled as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Rei, I-I know. It's okay, you don't need to say anything..."

"...No." Shinji's smile dropped instantly at Rei's utterance.

_I do. But...I can't. Words have never failed me before. Not when I felt the need to use them. Yet when I'm near you...I can't say anything._ She was doing her best to hold back the frustrated tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. But she quietly took a deep, steadying breath, and lifted her head to meet Shinji's eyes once again. The boy's mouth went dry as Rei's hands slowly found came to rest on his face, cradling it gently.

Before she could stop herself, she leaned forward and placed her lips firmly on his. Shinji's mind went completely blank, his initial surprise replaced by an overwhelming serenity. He didn't realize that his eyes had slowly shut and his arms were now encircling her, holding her tightly to him. He'd never really thought about kissing Rei, but now that it was happening he felt completely helpless to stop her.

After a few minutes, Rei slowly broke her lips away. Without speaking, she gently rested her head on Shinji's shoulder and slipped her arms around his waist. He didn't know what to say, but something told him as he held the girl in his arms that he didn't need to.

Neither was aware of their other roommate as she slowly made her way back to her room, an uncharacteristically blank expression on her face.

A/N: Well, sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I had something going on at home and decided to take a brief hiatus. I'll be updating at my previous speed from here on out (at least until Spring Break rolls around...) but I will get this thing done! See you next chapter!


	24. Judith

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 24: Judith

Rei and Shinji ate breakfast together silently, both too satisfied with the other's presence to ruin the peace of the morning by speaking. After a little while, the sound of bare feet on tile took Shinji's attention away from his food and he looked up to see Asuka walking into the kitchen.

"Oh, good morning Asuka."

"...Good morning."

Something about the girl's tone took him by surprise-- he took a proper look at her and saw a very different Asuka than he was used to. Her face was passive and her eyes had a strangely glazed look about them...it was almost like she was sleepwalking. She slowly walked past them, not even bothering to acknowledge her roommate's presence as she headed straight to the ready coffee pot.

"Uh...we left you some eggs and there's a few slices of toast by the stove... Asuka?" The redhead suddenly looked at her mug and realized that she had filled it to near-overflowing. She managed to stop herself and took a few seconds to register what Shinji had said.

"Oh...thanks."

Now Shinji knew he must be dreaming. Not only was she speaking in something below a yell, but she had actually _thanked_ him for something. He looked over at Rei while Asuka had her back to them, only to see that her brow was furrowed slightly in equal confusion. Shinji was a little worried by Asuka's sudden change in demeanor, but didn't say anything when she sat down opposite them and quietly began to eat her meal.

_I guess it's just a slow morning for her..._

* * *

But Asuka's reserved behavior continued for the rest of the day. She spoke little or not at all to both him and Rei, not being rude so much as being detached from the rest of the world. Combined with her equally uncharacteristic lack of appetite, Shinji couldn't help shake the feeling that something was wrong. But he knew better than to approach Asuka about her problems; the truth was that she was almost as introverted as he was, maybe more so. Dinner that night was refreshingly quiet but neither Shinji or Rei could fully appreciate it, as the half-German was occupying both of their thoughts. 

"...Good night." Asuka pushed her self up from the table, a half-finished plate in front of her.

"W-wait, Asuka...It's only half-past 6:00..." The girl turned her indigo-colored eyes to the boy still eating, her vision slightly unfocused.

"...That's fine. I need to get some sleep for the sync test tomorrow anyway."

Once the sounds of Asuka's footsteps had disappeared, Shinji leaned across the table to the pale girl who was drinking from her glass of water.

"...Do you think Asuka's sick?" he asked in a concerned tone. Rei set her glass down and stared at it, watching the liquid contents swirl from the impact of the cup on the table.

"...I don't know. But..." She allowed herself a sigh as she considered the most likely possibility. "...She may have seen us last night." Shinji stared at Rei for a moment turning back to his food.

"...I don't know about _that_... she doesn't seem like the type to let something like that bother her. Besides, why would she care if we're together or not?"

Rei didn't say the answer out loud, but she considered it as she finished her meal.

* * *

Asuka flopped onto her bed face down, greeted with the soft comfort of the mattress. Anyone else would have been able to sleep on a bed like this, but it somehow evaded her. She thought that being away from _them_ would give her a chance to forget about what she had seen on her way to the bathroom the previous evening, but all she had done was end up alone with her thoughts. It wasn't so much that they were together that was bothering her. It was that content look on their faces-- like... she tried to shake the thought away, but an old memory crept into her mind's eye. Mother sitting on that hospital bed, holding that old ragdoll... And now she had been abandoned again, for another lifeless, soulless... 

_Stop. Don't think about it. Just forget it. I'm not going to let this get the best of me. All I need is my Eva. I can live without friends or my parents or being loved by anyone..._

Yet despite the constant mental repetition she was forcing on herself, the pain in her chest had dulled but not disappeared entirely.

* * *

"All right-- you three are done for the day. Get cleaned up and you can go home." The sync test was over, but Asuka continued to sit in her Plug, passively watching the LCL drain out into the larger pool that surrounded them. After she had waited a few minutes she opened the hatch and climbed out onto the catwalk, looking around uncertainly. 

_Well, at least they've already left._

With this in mind, Asuka walked across the metal pathway and to the doorway nearby, only to be stopped by Misato just before she entered the shower area.

"Asuka."

The girl turned to her superior officer to acknowledge that she was listening. "...Your sync ratio's gone down a bit... Is everything okay?"

_My...? Oh damn..._ Asuka only barely managed to hide the paleness that had spread across her face, and forced a feeble smile in place.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Misato...I just...I'm a little tired today." The violet-haired woman briefly gave Asuka a motherly, tell-me-the-truth look, but decided to think better of it.

"...All right. Go get cleaned up."The redheadsilently walked past the Major, who lifted the results printout to her face again once Asuka had passed.

_Down nearly a third from last time..._ She grimaced to herself as she thought of Unit-02's current 'official' pilot. _If this happens again...I guess I'll have to tell her the truth._

* * *

As the hot water washed over her, Asuka's mind continued to wander, now further burdened with the knowledge Misato had laid upon her.In a fit of anger, she slammed her fist against thetile wall, only to retract it in pain. 

_Damnit..._

As much as she had tried to push the memory of Shinji and Rei kissing away, it simply wouldn't leave her. Even in the Plug, the place where she had felt most confident and secure for such a large part of her life. She had been told so often that she was gifted and special, but...

_...Am I really that special...if I can't even get an idiot like him to look at me?_

She took a deep breath as she turned the shower off and stepped out of the stall, grabbing a towel as she went.

_Fine. I don't need him. I don't need anyone._

_...I can live on my own._

A/N: This chapter was another difficult one for me to write...I kind of feel like I didn't quite get Asuka's character down right. Or maybe I did. I dunno. Anyway, let me know what you guys think.


	25. Job

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 25: Job

"...Well?"

Maya turned to look at Misato, who had broken the silence that had fallen over the observation deck. The Major was holding a cup of coffee she had filched from the break room, but wasn't drinking it; it seemed to merely be a prop to occupy her hands while she nervously awaited the results of Asuka's latest sync test.

"Major...According to this, she's dropped another 5 points." Misato rubbed her forehead in frustration.

"Nearly a 20-point drop in less than a week-- It wasn't even_this_ bad when her ratio was falling from before her coma." Maya's eyes fell on the video feed showing Asuka sitting in the Entry Plug with a stoic expression, as though trying to concentrate.

"...Is there anything that could be causing it, Major?" Misato took a swig of her coffee before answering, barely noticing that it was cold.

"Not that I could think of. Well, actually..." The woman's thoughts trailed to the couple now living under her roof. She'd caught them kissing (or rather, Rei pecking Shinji gently on the cheek) the other day at breakfast, so it stood to reason that Asuka had seen them too...

"...Yes?" The young technician's word's snapped her superior out of her reverie.

"...Oh, sorry...Nevermind, it's nothing," Misato said absentmindedly as she tossed her inedible drink into the trashcan sitting nearby. "...She hasn't told me that anything's wrong."

_But then again, she never tells anyone things like that,_ the Major pondered as Maya clicked on the intercom and told Asuka she was finished.

_

* * *

_

_Nothing._

Asuka repeated this to herself as she slowly made her way back to the apartment, her copper-colored hair swaying lightly in the breeze. She had not been told anything about her sync ratio since Misato had talked to her nearly a week ago, but she had been coming in for tests alone and more frequently. Her genius-level IQ wasn't necessary to determine what this could mean for her.

_I'm losing my control. If this keeps happening...I won't be a pilot anymore._

The thought horrified her--being an Eva pilot was all she had in the world. She had kept trying to concentrate when she was in the tests, but somehow it all felt wrong. Asuka's skill hadn't come from actually_thinking_ about what she was doing--she just felt it, like it was as natural as breathing or walking.

_I can't do it like I did before, so I try to concentrate harder. But when I concentrate harder, I just start thinking about how I'm going to mess up, which screws me up even more..._

She pressed a hand to her forehead in an effort to massage away the sharp pain that had come from her brain being overworked.

_...And now I'm getting a migrane. Goddamnit._

* * *

"So...How was your sync test, Asuka?" Shinji asked innocently at dinner. In response Asuka heavily put down her chopsticks and glared at him. He got the message loud and clear, dropping the subject immediately and allowing silence to settle over the table.

Misato had finally managed to get a night off, so she had decided to spend the evening at home. The gloom that surrounded her made her regret her decision rather quickly.

_Well, we're all together for once,_ the violet-haired woman thought as she took a sip of beer. _...But now everything feels so awkward._

The three children were eating slowly, occasionally taking glances at each other, like card players waiting to cheat as soon as no one was looking.

"Hey Misato," Shinji once again made a feeble attempt to break the ice, this time with a slightly less volatile individual. "...How come Rei and I haven't been called in for tests--"

"I'm finished," Asuka declared as she stood up from her seat, making it clear that this was also undesired conversational territory. The three other residents stared at her in mild surprise, then turned back to their food. The redhead cleaned her dishes carelessly, then set them still wet on the counter before stomping around the corner and out of sight. Shinji's cleaning instincts kicked in immediately, and he got up to finish Asuka's job.

"Shinji...You and Rei haven't told Asuka about...her coma, have you?" The boy turned away from the sink to stare at his guardian, while Rei merely shifted her eyes in the Major's direction.

"O-of course not!" Misato sighed gratefully, then focused her eyes on the beer in her hand.

"...Good. It's bad enough to lose a month of your life without having to relive it."

"Misato..." Rei's voice, though calm and monotone, still managed to surprise both of her roommates merely because they had not expected to hear her speak. "...Will Asuka be all right?" Misato's eyes widened at Rei's uncharacteristic display of concern, but she gave the girl a sad smile.

"...I don't know, Rei. It's hard to say how that girl will react to anything. I hate to lie to her, but... if she found out that she's already been replaced..." She trailed off listlessly, leaving an ominous silence in her wake.

Asuka, listening from around the corner, nearly collapsed from the weight of the knowledge that had accidentally been bestowed upone her. Instead, she pushed it to the back of her mind and walked as quietly as she could to her room.

* * *

_A whole month...?_

No matter how much she tried, Asuka still couldn't wrap her mind around that large an amount of time as she lay in her bed, sleep once again eluding her.

_How could I end up in a coma for a month? The doctors told me I was only out for a few days..._

But the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like there was something suspicious going on around her. Not being told her test results, the evasive way Shinji had acted when she occasionally asked about what had happened while she was asleep, and the feeling that she was forgetting something important...

_Why do I feel this...blankness? I know that the last thing I remember is fighting the 9th, and then I woke up...why does it seem like... something else happened before I was in the hospital? And those injuries I got weren't that serious, so..._

Asuka sighed, too tired to think, and shifted in bed to try and go to sleep. When she finally did manage to drift off, her mind was addled with nightmares. Something about a blinding light coming through the clouds, a light that pierced through to her very soul...

* * *

Asuka awoke fitfully, her hair matted around her face by sweat and her clothes damp. The sun was already high in the gray sky, but its light was filtered by dark rainclouds. Asuka turned and looked through her window at the weather that seemed to match her state of mind. She snorted and gave a slight grin, dully amused by Nature's twisted sense of irony. She flopped back onto the bed as the memories of yesterday hit her like a truck.

_God...I wish I could just stay in bed all day._ She sighed hopefully, as though a divine being would grant her wish, but after a few minutes spent staring at the ceiling, she shook the idle thought from her mind.

_Come on, Asuka. You can't be this weak. Just keep working hard on your own and things'll get better._

The cynical part of the half-German smirked sarcastically at this ridiculous notion, but she forced herself to get up anyway.

_From now on, don't give any of this a second thought. Just push everything away like before. You're still the same Asuka you used to be._

She slid open her door with a spirited attempt at her normal behavior ("Shinji, you'd better have some food ready for me!"), but was greeted with silence. She looked around curiously, but didn't see him anywhere.

_Hmph. I'll bet that idiot's oversleeping. Not likely, but..._

Instead of heading into the kitchen, where Shinji had left some breakfast and a note explaining that he and Rei had gone to the market to get food, Asuka walked next door to Shinji's room. She smiled to herself mischeviously at the thought of giving Shinji one of her abrupt wake-up calls.

_I haven't done this since I've been back... poor little bastard'll probably have a heart attack._

She slid the door open with a bang...only to find that he wasn't here either. Asuka vaguely wondered where he had run off to when she noticed a book in his room that she hadn't seen there before. Her curiousity got the better of her and she walked into the boy's room, picking up the small tome now sitting on his bedside counter.

"Weird...What's this doing here? 'Psychology?' He never read stuff like this before..."

As she flipped through the complicated text, she noticed small handwriting on the inside back cover that read "Ayanami Rei." Her thoughts turned venomous as she set the book back, barely suppressing the urge to tear the thing to pieces and burn it. Suddenly Asuka realized what she was thinking about the pale girl and felt a small pang of shame.

_There's no point in being jealous anymore. Besides, I promised myself I'd try to be nice to her..._

But her train of thought came to a complete stop as her eyes fell on the bed. The light had hit something on the pillow that she wouldn't have noticed otherwise. Asuka didn't even notice her trembling hand reaching over to grab the thing, as she was busy praying that she hadn't really seen it.

_Come on Asuka. You're just imagining things._

Her finger and thumb tightened around something so slim that it could barely be seen, and she slowly raised it to her face.

_Don't jump to conclusions. It's probably not what you think it is..._

It was a single strand of light blue hair.

Once her mind acknowledged it as belonging to her other female roommate, all attempts at rational thought disappeared. She slowly clenched her fist around the hair, as if to crush it and the seemingly only logical possibility it presented to dust.

_No...He wouldn't... not with her...not with that... that..._

Asuka wouldn't even allow herself to finish that thought, some part of her afraid to concede that what she suspicioned could be true. Instead, she let the hair drop to the floor, walked as calmly as she could to her room, threw a few sets of clothes into a duffel bag and ran out the front door.

A/N: Sorry for centering so much on Asuka these last few chapters-- to be honest, she's not one of my favorite characters. But I do acknowledge that she is a multifaceted character, so I'm trying to develop her in that way for this story. It wouldn't be impossible that she didn't know Rei was using Shinji's room... Remember, she's always been waking up after them and going to bed relatively early.( SEE? SEE? IT'S NOT RANDOM! I REALLY DID PLAN THIS OUT! lol) Anyway, this leads up to a meeting between her and Kaworu later on...


	26. Matthew

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same As Chapter 1.

Chapter 26: Matthew

"We're home!" Shinji yelled into the apartment as he helped Rei with one of her bags. The sudden rain had gotten them both drenched, despite the short walk from the train station to home. Unfortunately the grocery bags they had were not only paper but were also overpacked, so by the time they returned the bags were at the point of tearing to pieces. Very carefully both managed to get their purchases onto the kitchen counter, where water absorbed by the paper bags could congregate onto the tile.

"I...think...we...can...let...most...of...this...stuff...dry before we...put it away," Shinji said inbetween breaths to the pale girl standing beside him, worn out from running through the rain and lugging the heavy containers of food with him. Rei was slightly out of breath as well, but she waited until she had regained her composure before speaking.

"Very well." She casually looked over at Shinji, who didn't seem to realize he was dripping wet, his clothes completelly soaked through. "...You should change, Shinji." The boy looked down at himself, then at the equally drenched girl, averting his eyes as soon as his mind registered that he could see through ther shirt.

"...That's a bit of a case of the pot calling the kettle 'black,' isn't it?" Rei arched an eyebrow curiously at Shinji's use of such a bizarre phrase.

"What does that have to do with your current state, Shinji?"

"Well, uh..." He sighed, smiling at how Rei automatically took things literally. "...Nevermind. Here, why don't you get changed; I'll get started on dinner." The girl nodded, then headed to Shinji's room to shed her now-unsuitable attire. Shinji turned to the stove and noticed that there was a skillet on the stove with food still on it.

_That's wierd. Shouldn't Asuka have eaten this?_

It then occured to Shinji that he hadn't seen or heard Asuka since they had gotten back. "...Asuka?" he called tentatively, but was greeted only with the echo bouncing off the walls.

_Did she go out or something?_

That seemed the most likely thing. But why she hadn't left a note saying so frustrated him.

_Oh well. She'll probably be back in time for dinner anyway._

* * *

_What am I doing here?_

Sitting on a sidewalk bench with her arms wrapped about her knees was a pathetic rain-soaked figure, though anyone who knew her would have recognized her as Asuka Langley Sorhyu. After running out of the apartment, her mind gradually came to grips with her actions, though she had gotten about a mile away before her higher brain function had kicked in.

_This whole thing is stupid. All I'm doing now is running away._

It occured to her how ironic it was that she had called Shinji a coward so many times, yet here she was, acting the very same way.

_I...I just can't face them. Not the way I am now. But...where can I go?_

At first she thought of Hikari, but it occured to her then that she hadn't seen the freckle-faced class representative at all since she'd been back from the hospital.

_No. That'd be wierd. It's been too long. Wait...am I really so messed up that to be with a friend would feel awkward?_

She sighed as the rain continued to pour down on her, numbing her to the world living peacefully around her, coldly mocking her inner confusion.

_...What do I do now?_

Suddenly the cold touch of the falling streams of water ended as a something hovered above her head. Asuka looked straight up to see an red umbrella, sheltering her from the elements.

_...What?..._

"Hello."

She turned her head to the right and saw the owner of both the umbrella and the voices. It was a strange looking boy with silver hair and what looked like red eyes. She was instantly reminded of Rei, the last person she wanted to think about at this moment, so her response to his greeting was somewhat less than friendly.

"...What the hell do you want?" The boy smiled gently at her before answering.

"I saw you sitting out here. I thought you might be cold, so I--"

Asuka instantly stood up, grabbing her duffel bag and prepared to walk away. Before she could take even a few steps, however, she doubled over in a massive sneeze. The silver-haired boy came closer, shielding her with his umbrella again. Now Asuka regarded him with a look that would have killed a lesser man, but merely made him blink confusedly.

"What are you doing, you pervert? I thought I made it clear that you should get the hell away!"

"...I don't understand," he said with what was a genuinely befuddled expression. "I was simply trying to offer you assistance as an act of goodwill..."

"SCREW YOU, ASSHOLE! I don't need your help or anyone else's! If I ever needed help from some messed up freak like you--"

A fresh round of sneezes cut her off. It was nearly a minute before she was certain they had ended, upon which she opened her mouth to resume her rant, but was rendered speechless when the boy put his hand on her forehead.

"Hmm. You might have a fever, Asuka. Probably from sitting in the rain for so long." He smiled at her kindly again, as though he found the whole prospect amusing. Asuka only continued to stare at him, her brow still slightly creased but with uncertainty, not anger, in her eyes.

"...How...how do you know my name? Who are you?"

"My name is Kaworu Nagisa. I'm the Fifth Child."

Upon hearing the words 'Fifth Child,' something inside Asuka snapped. She instantly put her hands at the boy's throat, not caring that there were pedestrians all around her. Kaworu's eyes widened slightly at Asuka's unexpected assault, but he diidn't make a single noise as the red-haired girl continued to try to squeeze the life out of him. He had expected her to react this way, after all. Asuka wanted more than anything to kill him at that moment, but her grip began to slacken against her will.

_No...I won't let myself be replaced...Not by this bastard..._

She fell to the street, a sudden exaustion overwhelming her. Kaworu rubbed his neck where her hands had been only seconds ago as a few people rushed up to the fallen girl.

"What happened"  
"She's burning up"  
"Must've fainted..."

Kaworu found a gap in the cluster of people and bent down, lifting Asuka at the waist and with her arm thrown around his shoulders for support. One of the bystanders looked at the boy a bit uncertainly, considering he was helping someone who had just been attacking him.

"Um...All you all right with her?" Kaworu smiled reassuringly at the woman.

"Don't worry. We actually know each other quite well."

The crowd wasn't entirely convinced, but Kaworu walked off with Asuka before they could voice their concern.

_Hmm...she is sick,_ he thought as he picked up her duffel bag and made his way back to his apartment, still carrying the unconcious girl on his arm.


	27. Galatians

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 27: Galatians

Asuka awoke to find herself in a warm bed. After blinking a few times, to ensure she wasn't dreaming, she pulled herself into a sitting position, only to grasp her forehead and lay back down.

_My head..._

She suddenly realized that she was burning hot, despite being covered in cold sweat. The girl groaned miserably to herself as she continued to lay in bed, too tired to move.

"Ah, good. You're awake."

A gentle, almost lyrical voice floated into the small bedroom as its owner followed. Kaworu was holding a tray with a pot of hot tea, steam drifting lazily from the spout. Upon seeing the boy, Asuka's blank, fatigued face grew furious and she prepared to jump out of bed and finish what she had started, but the throbbing in her temples instantly put any thought of moving at bay. Kaworu chuckled lightly.

"It's probably not a good idea for you to move too much-- I imagine you must feel quite disoriented right now."

The redhead resisted the urge to yell at Kaworu for stating the painfully obvious, but for some reason she simply whispered,

"...Where am I?"

"Oh... You fainted in the street, so I brought you to my apartment," the boy said with an innocent smile as he poured a cup of the hot liquid and handed it to her. She accepted it hesitantly, then stared at the tea with a look of barely-concealed suspicion. Noting Asuka's expression, he arched an eyebrow and asked her what was wrong.

"...This isn't drugged, is it?"

At her remark, Kaworu let out a hearty laugh, not realizing that she was being completely serious.

"Of course not! What kind of silly question is that?" Asuka was quickly losing her temper.

"It's NOT a 'silly question'-- I don't even _know_ you! How do I know you haven't already tried to have your way with me, you pervert?"

"...That's twice you've called me that. What _is_ a 'pervert'?" he asked seriously. She stared at him, at a complete loss for words.

_Great. He's either acting stupid or he's just retarded. Why'd I have to be helped by someone like this?_

"Just...nevermind!" Asuka decided to throw caution to the wind and lifted the cup to her lips, tired of trying to speak to her host. Finding that it was untainted (and also very tasty as well), she continued to drink, careful not to burn her tongue. She at first didn't notice that Kaworu was continuing to calmly stare at her with a smile on his face, but as soon as she caught him in her peripheral vision, she turned angry eyes in his direction. "What the hell are YOU looking at!"

"Nothing in particular," the wiry young man answered honestly. "I was only wondering why you were out in such bad weather." Asuka's face softened slightly, but her furious anger had merely turned to annoyed confusion. When she said nothing, Kaworu decided to elaborate. "...You live with the Major and Shinji, correct? There's no reason that you should have been outside with carrying clothing in a traveling bag with you." Of course, he knew exactly why she had that bag with her, but a display of concern would be the most effective way to gain the Second's trust. Asuka only glanced away from him, her eyes focused on the bed she was still laying on and her voice only just above a whisper.

"...What do you care?" Kaworu sighed internally, but he didn't betray his frustration with Asuka's cold demeanor on his face.

"Miss Sorhyu, I fail to understand why you are acting this way towards me. I have done nothing but offer you my help..."

"...And what?" Asuka growled dangerously, the change in behavior startling Kaworu. "I have to be_nice_ to you, is that it? Don't bother holding your breath, because the only thing you're getting from me is-- OW! GODDAMNIT!" She had gotten so agitated that the hand holding her teacup had jerked suddenly, spilling the hot liquid onto her left hand. She cringed at the heat, massaging the now bright-red part of her skin in an effort to alleviate the unpleasant sensation. She had been so focused on cursing the burn in both German AND Japanese that she practically jumped out of her skin when Kaworu reached over and pulled her left hand closer to him.

"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU--" Kaworu managed to silence her with a single gentle look as his eyes locked with hers. It was an intensity that frightened her slightly, but also brought on a different emotion that confused her.

"...I am attending to your injury. Things like this should not be left alone, after all." He took some antiseptic out of a small First-Aid kit (he'd gone to the kitchen to retrieve it while Asuka was preoccupied with her cursing) and began to dab the area of the burn with a cotton swab. Asuka was about to tell him to 'piss off, I can take care of it myself,' but she sighed instead, reluctantly allowing him to touch her. As Kaworu continued to silently treat the small injury, she was surprised by the softness of his hands. Even though this was the last position she wanted to ever be seen in-- the great Asuka Langley Sorhyu pathetically being given help by the very person who had taken away her reason for being-- she somehow felt a strange, but undeniable, sense of security, as well as a slight pang of disappointment when he had finished and put her now-bandaged hand back onto the bed. "Now then...I believe you were telling me something?" Kaworu said with a smile as he turned his attention back to his guest.

Against her will, Asuka felt warmth radiating from her face as she looked at the pale boy. She physically attempted to shake the image of his smile from her mind's eye and speak.

"Well, I...uh..." Her voice trailed off as she racked her brain, unable to remember why she had been so angry.

_God, what the hell's wrong with me? I've never even SEEN this kid, but... I feel like I've known him forever..._

"Umm...Thanks...I guess..." she said with a degree of proud reluctance. Kaworu only continued to favor her with a gentle smile, which deepened her blush and caused her to look away again.

* * *

The familiar hiss of the mechanical front door pulled Shinji and Rei's attention away from the dinner they were enjoying. A sigh preceded the form of Misato as she walked through the threshold to the kitchen and smiled a greeting at the two children at the table. 

"Oh...Hi, Misato." Shinji said with what was barely-concealed disappointment. It didn't escape the sharp older woman, though, and she narrowed her eyes at the boy.

"Hey, what kind of 'hello' is that? I don't work these shifts just so I can come home to a bunch of gloomy kids, you know."

"Uh, sorry..." Shinji started, but Misato cut him off with a wave and a smile.

"I'm just kidding, Shinji." She suddenly realized that there was a familiar voice that was noticeably absent from such an easy opportunity to berate Shinji's overly apologetic nature. "...Hey, where's Asuka?"

"...Asuka has been absent since before Shinji and I returned from the market," Rei quietly answered. Misato's brow furrowed slightly in response as she looked out the window at the dark sky.

_That's odd... she never misses dinner._

"...Well, it's probably nothing," Misato assured them. "Probably just at a friend's house."

Shinji nodded in agreement, but his sullen expression made his worry apparent. His air of brooding, combined with Rei's stoicism, put cracks in the rock of Misato's certainty. By the time she had finished up the leftovers from dinner she was beginning to get worried.

_Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to check in with Section 2._

She walked to her room, on the precedent of getting changed, and once there picked up the phone near her unmade futon and dialed a few numbers. After a few seconds the dial tone stopped, and Misato knew they were listening.

"This is Major Katsuragi. I'm calling in regards to the current location of the Second Child." A voice, clearly altered for the sake of security, responded.

"...The Second Child is currently inside the residence of Kaworu Nagisa, Fifth Child."

How Misato was able to keep from dropping the phone in surprise was only due to her ability to maintain her composure in emergency situations, one of the many reasons she was ultimately selected for the position of Chief Strategic Officer. Instead she stood there in a state of utter speechlessness.

"...Major Katsuragi?" the voice on the opposite end of the line said tentatively, uncertain that she was still there. Misato quickly pulled herself together.

"...I want you to put both children on the highest priority observation level. Also, I'd like a report of all activity preceding this call given to me by tomorrow. If_anything_ out of the ordinary happens, I want to be contacted immediately. Understood?" The voice assented and then hung up. Misato, still reeling from the information, slowly put the reciever down a few minutes later. She changed out of her NERV attire, letting it lay carelessly on the ground as she grabbed a tank top and pair of flannel sleep bottoms, her mind distant.

"...Well, I just talked to Hikari on the phone," she said with a smile to Shinji, seated on the couch with Rei. "...Asuka's staying over there tonight." Shinji let out a sigh, and even Rei looked somewhat relieved. As Misato headed to the kitchen to grab a beer, she thought about her three charges, one of whom could be in danger at this very moment.

_Asuka... Just be careful._

A/N: Okay, to answer what everyone is probably thinking-- Asuka and Kaworu aren't going to hook up...well, not in the basic sense of the term. I did want her to have the kind of relationship with him that Shinji had with Kaworu in the series, which (in my opinion) was one more of deep trust and friendship than physical love. Since this Shinji doesn't like Kaworu and has chosen to remain close to Rei as opposed to abandoning her, Asuka has reached rock-bottom instead of him, and thus it makes her more vulnerable to Kaworu's snake-in-the-grass friendliness. Anyway, see you all next chapter! Getting ever nearer to the climax...


	28. Peter I

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 28: Peter I

Asuka lay in bed, quietly staring at the ceiling. The moonlight filtered into the room through half-closed blinds, throwing strips of light onto the sheets and floor. Her fever had gone down quite a bit, but so much was going through her head that she couldn't fall asleep. The half-German shifted her head a bit on her pillow to look at the silver-haired boy in the futon on the ground, his hands linked behind his head. She opened her mouth slightly in an attempt to speak, but chose not to on the chance that he was no longer awake.

_I'm already making him sleep on the floor. I don't want to bother him anymore than I am..._

"...Yes?" Asuka nearly screamed when Kaworu suddenly broke the silence, only just managing to stifle her exclamation with her hand.

"D-don't do that!" she whispered harshly, but her words were meant only with quiet as the red-eyed boy continued to look upward.

"There is something bothering you, Asuka."

"What do you mean?" she said evasively.

"...The fact that you are still awake is proof enough that your mind is troubled." Asuka was speechless, unable to deny the truth of Kaworu's statement.

"Well...I..." She sighed, unable to put her thoughts into words, and turned her attention back to the ceiling above her.

"Tell me, Asuka...Why did you leave your home?"

Silence.

"...Did it have something to do with Shinji and R--"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY HER NAME!" Asuka shouted furiously, which silenced Kaworu within an instant. After a few awkward moments, the redhead calmed down. "...Sorry...I-I shouldn't have overreacted..." Kaworu nodded his head, indicating that her apology was unnecessary.

"...Do you hate her, Asuka?" The girl didn't speak as she turned the idea over in her head.

"...I do. I hate her more than anyone. But I..." Asuka sighed again, frustrated with herself more than anything else. "I don't know why. Just something about her that...that just rubs me the wrong way. But...I kind of wish that..."

"...That what?" Asuka quietly thought about when she and Rei had gone shopping together. It wasn't really the best memory, but it was the only one she had of them together and doing something normal. It had almost felt like they were...

"...Nothing." Kaworu had assumed that Asuka was finished talking, so he was surprised when she continued. "To be honest...I'm not even sure if I ever really_liked_ Shinji to begin with. I mean sure, he's a nice guy and everything, but..."

"...So them being together doesn't bother you?"

Asuka couldn't deny that it _did_ bother her, though.

_Am I just jealous?...No, it can't just be that._

What Asuka didn't want to admit to herself was that she just wanted Shinji because she knew she couldn't have him. In her whole life, he was one of the only people who hadn't treated her like she was special or 'different'-- she was just another Eva pilot like him, albeit more naturally talented. Yet now she was losing even that... When Asuka didn't answer, Kaworu knew that he had struck a nerve, and decided to press a different issue.

"...Do you hate _me_, Asuka?" he asked with a bit of a smile. At this, she shifted her head a bit to look at Kaworu's profile with a flabbergasted expression.

"What?...Why would I hate you?" she said a bit sadly, completely forgetting that she had, in fact, been wishing him a painful death merely twelve hours ago. Even Kaworu raised a surprised eyebrow.

"...Well, considering that I am the current pilot of Unit-02, not to mention that you tried to kill me..."

Asuka cringed at the memory, hating herself for behaving so childishly. "Look, about that...I'm really sorry! I just..." The boy turned his head to look her in the eye, a warm smile on his face, and Asuka suddenly stopped, her throat instantly dry, her blue irises fixed on his red ones.

"There's no need for an apology, Asuka. I understand that your actions were impulsive and that in your right mind, you would not have hurt me."

_Don't know about that,_ Asuka thought wryly to herself, remembering all the pain she had inflicted on Shinji during the time they'd been living together. Now it seemed so childish for her to have been acting so horribly to him.

"To tell you the truth..." She said with a smirk, "I don't even know what my 'right mind' would be. I just feel so lost right now. I used to be able to synch without even thinking about it, but now..." She sighed yet again, almost laughing at how much she felt like Shinji."...I just feel so pathetic." She looked over to see Kaworu's back turned to her, seemingly in an effort to get back to sleep.

_I guess I'm not even worth paying attention to anymore,_ Asuka thought sadly to herself as she tried to fall asleep. Suddenly Kaworu spoke again.

"...There is no human being on this planet that is unworthy of existence, Asuka. Despite what you may feel about yourself at this moment, these negative emotions will come to pass. Because in the end, you are still yourself, and the fact that you are a individual has earned my empathy." Asuka frowned slightly, confused by the young boy's words.

"'Empathy? W-what are you talking about?" Kaworu didn't turn around to face her when he answered her question, but if he had he would have seen a blush that made her face match her flaming hair.

"...I'm saying 'I love you.'"

A/N: Yes, that's a deliberate recollection of Kaworu's words to Shinji in episode 24 :) Sorry this one's late (and that it's so short!)--This was supposed to be yesterday's updatebut I had a bunch of homework to work on :(

I'll have another update ready by tonight for today, so look forward to it!


	29. Peter II

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 29: Peter II

Asuka stared at the coffee cup in her hands, as if it could give answers to the questions running through her mind. The girl had gotten up before Kaworu, who as far as she knew was still sleeping. She didn't mind right now, though, as distance from him was giving her time to think about what had happened last night.

_Why was it so easy to tell Kaworu all that?_

It felt strange. Asuka was never one to open up to others-- the way she acted around people, with her pride and arrogance, was essentially a facade, one that had lasted for many long years without a single person questioning it. Yet this boy, whom she'd barely met, had managed to see through her and not only that, had quietly listened as she poured out her problems.

_And then he said that he..._

She blushed involuntarily at the memory as she tried to talk sense into herself

_What am I thinking? I don't even KNOW this guy!_

There was definitely something out of the ordinary about him. Not quite a bad something... but it made her uneasy nontheless. She felt strangely vulnerable around him, yet it was liberating at the same time-- Kaworu didn't judge her in any way, shape or form, so she didn't have to act around him.

_I almost felt like... a different person around him. I haven't felt this safe with anyone for...God, I can't even remember._

Asuka wasn't entirely sure that was a good thing, though. She was shaken out of her reverie as the object of her musings walked into the tiny kitchen. He smiled at her kindly and she barely succeded in gathering her wits to wish him "good morning."

_Oh God, and now I'm acting like some kind of schoolgirl. Get it together, Asuka!_

"...Are you going to go home today, Asuka?" It took the girl a moment to register what Kaworu was saying. She almost felt numb, and it took her a moment to force her mouth to start working again.

_...Does he want me to leave?_

"Well, uh...I..." she turned her attention away from the boy and back to the coffee as she took a sip, barely tasting it, "...I don't know if I'm ready to go back just yet..." Fortunately, she didn't have to embarrass herself with feeble pleading for long. Kaworu looked away from the breakfast he was preparing on the stove and at the redhead sitting at the table.

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you need to, Asuka."

"T-thanks..." she said quietly, not wanting to betray how glad she was that he wasn't evicting her.

"...You know that we have a sync test tomorrow though, correct?" Asuka's eyes drooped a little at the thought. "You'll have to see them all then..."

The idea of having to see Shinji and Rei after she had run out made Asuka shake slightly. Suddenly she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Every coherent thought going through her mind abandoned her as she only became aware of Kaworu's touch.

"Don't worry, Asuka. I know you're a strong person. Just remember that and you'll be fine."

He took his hand off (too soon for Asuka, in spite of herself) and returned to the stove, unaware that Asuka was still looking at him, wondering to herself how she could have thought him to be anything other than a good person.

* * *

Misato sat at her desk, looking through the file the Section 2 agent in front of her had put there. After a few minutes, she laid the manilla folder back on the steel surface in front of her, rubbing her eyes in frustration. 

"So...nothing's happened?" she said tiredly to the well-built man in the dark suit and glasses. "No ma'am. Neither child has done anything out of the ordinary in the 16 hours since you requested a Priority-One Observation level. There are photos included in the docket, as well as a transcript of their conversations since approximately 1808 Hours yesterday."

"Hmm." Misato glanced at the transcript, the photos holding nothing that seemed worth noticing. The conversation seemed strangely civil, especially for Asuka's standards, but that wasn't what caught her attention.

"...What's this?" she said as she indicated a strange shift in the conversation. "They were talking at this point, then they're suddenly quiet again."

"Yes, ma'am. The recording equipment suffered a short and as a result there was a gap in the conversation." Misato looked curiously at the agent.

_An electrical problem? With Section 2?_

"Do you have any idea what caused it? The short, I mean." The agent shook his head slightly in response.

"At this point, it's assumed that the electrical error was the result of anything from an overload on the main switchboard to defective equipment." When the Major continued to stare at the papers intently, the agent spoke.

"...Major Katsuragi?" Misato managed to focus her attention back on the man in front of her, the expression on her face pensive and somber.

"It's nothing. Thank you, you're dismissed." The agent saluted her, then turned on his heel and left. Misato focused her eyes on the transcript again, as though daring it to deny her the suspicions she had.

_A short? Not likely. Not with this kid._

She'd been up all night, trying to find more information on the Fifth Child, but a search of NERV's data mainframe had yielded nothing. It seemed that most of them were in the dark as much as she was. She had been ready to give up when she remembered that there was still one person who might be able to lend her a hand.

At that moment, the clicking of footsteps approaching alerted Misato to the arrival of Hyuga. The thin, almost fragile-looking twentysomething saluted when he was in front of her.

"...You asked to see me, Major?"

"Hyuga...There's something I need you to do. ...And this is strictly off the record, in case you needed reminding."

He pushed his glasses up, smiling as he realized what it was she was after.

"... What do you need, Major Katsuragi?" Misato grimaced slightly as she found a picture of Kaworu from the stack and handed it to the bridge technician.

"I need any information you can find on the Fifth Child."

A/N: There--I promised I'd have 2 up today and I did! Hooray:)


	30. Hosea

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 30: Hosea

Asuka and Kaworu spent the remainder of the day in relative quiet, as he was not in possession of a television set. With anyone else, Asuka would have been going out of her mind from boredom, but it didn't really bother her for some reason. She felt almost peaceful in his presence, and as someone who hadn't really known a sense of contentment in her life, it came as a blessing. Around 5:30, Kaworu tapped Asuka's shoulder, waking her up from her nap on the couch.

"...Are you hungry?" Asuka rubbed her eyes and groaned tiredly, then put a hand to her complaining stomach.

"...Yeah, I guess so..." He went to the closet and found a light windbreaker, then carefully handed it to the yawning girl.

"Would you like to eat out, Asuka?" The redhead instantly snapped to attention and looked at Kaworu like she had seen a ghost.

"W-what?"

_Is this a date? Oh geez, I don't have anything to wea--Goddamnit, Asuka, snap out of it! There you go, thinking that stuff again!_

Kaworu merely regarded the half-German girl with a curious expression. "...Is that not acceptable?"

"N-no..." she swallowed hard as she tried to convince herself that she wouldn't be tremendously happy with the idea of spending the evening with her host like that. "...It's fine-- let's go." She grabbed the surprised boy's hand and ran out the door, afraid that if she gave the subject more thought she would turn him down.

"Asuka," Kaworu said, derailing her train of thought. She turned to him inquisitively.

"Yeah?" He only smiled as heturned his eyes downward, indicating that she should do the same. She was still holding Kaworu's hand. Embarrassed beyond words, she gave a yelp and let it go as if it was burning hot.

_Oh God, I can't believe I just did that..._

Kaworu did nothing but chuckle lightly to himself, smiling at how red she was getting.

* * *

"This looks like a good one," Shinji said, tossing the pear into a plastic grocery bag after thuroughly inspecting it. Rei came over with from across the produce section carrying a colorful array of vegetables, to the point that they were bulging from her arms and threatening to fall to the smooth tile floor. Shinji smiled uncomfortably at the odd spectacle, then met her halfway to the cart so he could take some from her. 

"...Thank you," Rei said gratefully as she put her half of the vegetables into the cart. Shinji gave the pale girl an overwhelmed look.

"Rei, do you think you may have gone...just a _little_ too far?" He indicated the cornucopia of vegetables now in the cart, ranging from tomato, cauliflower and lettuce to some that Shinji hadn't even heard of. Rei blushed slightly as she guiltily looked at the floor.

"...I apologize. I merely wanted to aquire the best possible variety of flavors." Shinji allowed himself a grin as he shook his head.

"Don't, Rei. It's not a big deal." In fact, it made him rather glad to see her so enthused about something so menial.

_She's getting a wider range of tastes. That's definitely a good thing,_ he thought happily.

After gathering a few more essentials, they pushed the now-full cart to the checkout, where they were lucky enough to find a free cashier. As Shinji grabbed food and placed it on the conveyor, he noticed something outside the grocery store's massive glass windows.

_Is that...?_

He shifted his position so that he could see past the glare of the florescent lighting. Sure enough, it was Asuka. But she was walking with...

_...Kaworu?_

Even more peculiar was Asuka's demeanor-- if it wasn't for the bright red hair, he wouldn't have thought it was her at all. She was walking quietly with the silver haired boy, her eyes slightly downcast but looking happy nontheless. Shinji watched them continue to walk until they disappeared beyond his line of sight.

_What's Asuka doing with him? I thought she was at Hikari's..._

"...Shinji?" Rei's voice and a gentle tug on his shoulder brought him back to reality. He turned his head back in her direction, away from the anxiety that was gnawing at him.

"What is it, Rei?" The pale girl indicated the bags full of groceries sitting beside the register. "Oh, sorry!" He said to the disgruntled-looking cashier as he scrambled to pick up the food and get out of the way of the other patrons, Rei grabbing what he couldn't carry.

"...Is there something wrong?" she asked when she noticed that Shinji kept looking at the street behind them.

"Oh, I just saw Asuka and Kaworu a while ago..." Rei narrowed her eyes slightly as she considered what Shinji had said.

_That does seem a bit...strange._

She didn't know why, but she too became aware of an odd sense of foreboding at the thought of the silver-haired boy who had once told her that they were 'the same.'

* * *

Kaworu opened the front door, yawning as he slipped off his shoes at the front step, full and satisfied after a good meal and a leisurely walk. Asuka slowly followed him, not really paying attention to what she was doing. Her host looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. 

"Hmm...nearly 9:30."

The redhead was only half-listening to him as she nodded.

"...Asuka?"

"Huh?" She finally came back to reality as she faced the boy whosenose was now only a few feet from hers. She was aware that her heart was pounding as his calm crimson irises continued to stare into her azure ones. "Wh...what is it?"

"We should get to sleep, since we do have to be at NERV early tomorrow."

"...Yeah..." She slowly walked to her duffel bag and grabbed some clothes to change into, then headed to the bathroom. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, uncertain of what to think anymore.

_...Why can't I remember why I felt so afraid of him? All I feel now is happy. I...I like being around him._

As she changed, she could still hear the voice in her head telling her not to trust Kaworu, that she had just met him and that there was something very suspicious about someone who takes in complete strangers and bears no grudges against anyone, but she ignored it in favor of the warmth that was making a smile spread across her face.

* * *

Asuka walked out of the bathroom dressed in an oversized shirt and baggy gray sleep pants. Kaworu had changed while she had, and now stood in the bedroom unrolling his spare futon. 

"...Kaworu?"

The silver-haired boy turned at the sound of his friend's voice and smiled.

"Yes?"

Asuka tried to make eye contact with him, but she found it near impossible, and chose instead to look at the ground as she wrung her hands together nervously.

"Um...Well, it's not really important or anything, but...I..." her voice trailed off into a mumble, which made Kaworu gently ask her to raise her voice a bit. She took a moment to collect her thoughts, then asked her question again.

"...I was wondering...um...did you mean it when you said...that...that you l-loved me..."

Kaworu looked at her curiously. Why was she so concerned about that? His smile widened.

"Of course I did, Asuka." To his surprise, she lifted her head to reveal that her sad, uncertain face had melted into a smile that rivaled his own. Asuka got on her knees so she was level with him.

"...Thank you. You have no idea... how much I needed to hear that from someone. And I..." She blushed as she looked down at the floor again, "...I'm glad I heard it from you."

He was about to give Asuka another of his assurances of her worth as a human being when she suddenly threw her arms around him, burying her face into his shoulder. Now it was his turn to feel uncomfortable--possibly the first time he had ever been uncomfortable in the course of his existence. For a while all was silent as she sat there clinging to him almost like a child to its mother, then Kaworu heard muffled whimpering accompanied by something wet on his shirt where Asuka's face was.

_Is she..._

"I...I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." the redhead whispered into his shoulder as she desperately held him tighter, not sure what she wasapologizing about. Kaworu stared at her silently for a moment, his face blank and confused. Then, on the bidding of something deep inside himself, he gently put a hand on her head, assuring her that he was still there.

* * *

Kaworu stared at Asuka from his place on the floor. She was sleeping peacefully, and it almost seemed like her actions from an hour ago had never occured. He looked back up at the ceiling, feeling as confused as Asuka had when she had been awake like this the previous evening. 

He had never expected her to do _that_. Well, it had been his intention from the beginning that she would befriend him, thus making her easier to manipulate. She was acting exactly as he had anticipated she would, but now he had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as he thought about what lay in store for her along the path he was leading her to.

_This feeling...is it 'guilt'?_

He was aware of emotions, but had little to no knowledge of what they actually meant. It had surprised him when he met Shinji how easily humans allowed their feelings to control their behaviors and actions. It was easy enough to imitate emotions for him, yet Asuka had actually made him _feel_ something.

_...Can I really still just let this happen now?_

His thoughts were interrupted by a cold voice inside his head.

**_...Are you having second thoughts, Kaworu?_**

The boy's neutral face turned into a slight frown.

_No. I have no reservations about my task._

_**You're lying. Are you planning to betray me?**_

Kaworu didn't answer.

_**...Do you truly think that even one of the lilim is worth abandoning our destiny? Have you forgotten our brethren, killed in cold blood by those Children?**_

_I have not forgotten. Yet I fail to see why the entirety of the lilim must suffer for the sake of a few._

_**It is not in your place to consider such things.**_

_You sound like the old men,_ Kaworu smiled to himself.

_**DoNOT compare me to those fools at SEELE. They continue to play God, assuming for themselves a duty intended only for the Divine. ...But it will be I who ensures the Rapture is fulfilled.**_

_**This is what you were created for, Kaworu. Abandon any dreams of humanity that you may have-- for that is all they will ever be.**_

With that, the voice left Kaworu alone again. For a long time he stared at the ceiling, trying to forget the ultimate truth of his existence. He quietly got up and walked over to Asuka's bed, then leaned over and gently kissed her on the forehead. She smiled in her sleep, shifting a little under the covers contentedly. Kaworu only continued to look at her with a sad expression on his face.

_...Forgive me, Asuka. But this is how it must be._

A/N: Well, I hope the length of this one makes up for the last two :) Peace, and see you next chapter!

Shinji: Hey Rei, this jerk's been cheating us on appearance time!

Rei: Yes. I was under the impression this story was about us-- this is unacceptable.

Shinji: So what do we do?

Rei:...Let's beat him up.

Shinji: (grabs bat as Rei pulls out aboard with a nail in it) Sweet.

(Both proceed to wail on author)


	31. Acts of the Apostles

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 31: Acts of the Apostles

Misato stared at the Entry Plugs halfway submerged in LCL, then at the monitors showing each of the four pilots.

"...How's Asuka doing?" the Major asked Maya, who was giving the data readouts her complete attention. After a few moments, the younger girl indicated for her superior to see for herself. Misato stared at the data, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Is...is that even possible?"

"To be honest, Major, I'm just as surprised as you are," Maya admitted, "...but I'm sure Asuka will be glad to hear this."

* * *

"A-are you serious? Ninety-seven percent?" 

Asuka stood in shock as Misato smiled at her, holding the sync test results out to the redhead. She took the folder and opened, to reveal that it was, in fact, true.

"Good job, Asuka. I'm glad you're feeling better." Misato's kind words did not reach the young girl, however. She was completely preoccupied by the feat she had managed to somehow accomplish.

_I...I can't believe it...How did I get it so high again?_

"Misato... Does this mean I can pilot again?" The violet-haired woman blanched, her mouth going slightly dry.

"How...how did you--"

"...I heard you talking about it the other day." Asuka looked down at the ground, slightly ashamed of herself. The girl's downcast expression surprised Misato, but she managed to recover her composure as she put a hand on her shoulder.

"Asuka...You don't have anything to feel bad about. I should have told you--you deserve that much, at least. And yes...I'll put you back on the roster immediately."

The original pilot of Unit-02 breathed a sigh of relief, then thanked the older woman as she headed towards the showers. She didn't see Misato's warm smile fade into a sober grimace as the Major considered the strange new shift in events. There was something wrong with all this. Asuka may have been talented, but there was no way she could have restored her sync ratio in only a few days.

_...Well, at least I don't have to let Kaworu pilot anymore. After last time...I think I'd rather stick with Asuka._

* * *

Asuka met the silver-haired boy outside the men's showers, changed out of his black-and-red Plugsuit and into a white collared shirt and black slacks. She grabbed his arm anxiously and started to lead him towards the exit. 

"...Let's go." Kaworu looked rather startled, but knew why she wanted to leave, so he said nothing. However, Shinji came out of the locker room a few minutes later. He barely glanced at Kaworu as he noticed the individual pulling him along.

"...Asuka?" The girl froze, realizing that there was no escape now. She took a deep breath, then turned around with a smile that screamed insencerity.

"Oh...Hi, Shinji." Shinji was too familiar with her two-faced nature to be fooled by a mere grin, however-- he now knew that Asuka must have found out about him and Rei. Neither of them said a thing after that, both feeling awkward beyond words. They simply stood where they were until the face Asuka least wanted to see in the world came around the corner. Rei was about to say something to Shinji (as she had planned to meet him there) when she noticed that her former roommate as well as Kaworu Nagisa were standing in the hallway. She shut her mouth instantly, sensing the uncomfortable atmosphere. Finally Shinji surprised everyone by breaking the ice.

"So, um...Asuka, did you want to come home for dinner?"

* * *

Only one thought was going through Asuka's head as she quietly ate the teriyaki vegetables Shinji had prepared. 

_Why the hell did I agree to this?_

She had thought it would be awkward for her to be here at all, and she was absolutely correct. No one had bothered to make real conversation since they had arrived, only speaking when necessary or not at all. And sure enough, the sting of seeing Shinji and Rei together had not dissipated.

_Well, at least Kaworu's here,_ she thought to herself.

Shinji had reluctantly invited the Fifth Child as well, upon prompting of a familiar glare of Asuka's and his own habitual curteousy. He couldn't pretend for a moment that being near Kaworu didn't feel uncomfortable, and he kept glancing nervously at him from across the table, as if he was planning to do something dangerous and was waiting for the moment when no one would be looking. The boy merely continued to eat, occasionally making sounds of satisfaction at the taste of the meal.

* * *

Both Rei and her male companion were feeling exceedingly uncomfortable until Asuka declared that she and Kaworu needed to head back, around 7:45. Rei was secretly relieved, but Shinji walked up to the redhead and grabbed her wrist.

"...Asuka, can I speak to you for a minute?" She barely had time to protest as he half-dragged her to his bedroom and slid the door shut, leaving a stunned Kaworu and Rei behind.

Asuka pulled her hand away from Shinji once they had stopped.

"...What do you want?" The boy didn't speak at first, as he tried to put what he wanted to say into words without pressing Asuka's buttons.

"Asuka...What are you doing with Kaworu?" Almost immediately he knew he had said the wrong thing. She had been looking at the floor sheepishly, but the instant he mentioned her current host her eyes flashed dangerously at him.

"...What does it matter if I'm staying with him?" She said, a bit of her trademark icyness sneaking into her voice. "Are you jealous, Shinji?" the redhead said with a not-too-hard-to-distinguish wicked grin on her face.

"Wha...? No, it's just that... Rei and I were worried about you. You just disappeared and never called us, and Misato said that you were at Hikari's but she said she hadn't seen you, so..." his voice trailed off nervously as Asuka defensiveness faded in spite of herself.

They... were worried about me?

"Besides...I...I don't think that you should be around him anymore."

With that, the relative passiveness Asuka had been demonstrating up to that point evaporated.

"...WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE! I'LL STAY WHEREVER THE HELL I DAMN WELL PLEASE, YOU BASTARD!" Asuka's outburst made Shinji, who already felt like he was walking on pins and needles, took a step back in the hopes that distance between him and the violent half-German might lessen the impact of her fury. It didn't.

"A-A-Asuka, I'm n-not trying t-t-to control y-y-you...I just think that you s-should be careful..."

"'Careful!' I don't need YOU to tell me that! And don't you DARE talk about Kaworu like that!" Asuka's anger was beginning to infect Shinji, who to both her and his surprise, straightened up slightly and began to yell at her with equal fury.

"Asuka, I know it sounds wierd-- maybe I'm just being paranoid, I don't know! All I do know is that you're my friend and I don't want you to get hurt by someone like him!" Asuka paused briefly and stared at him. Instead of feeling warmed by his sentiment, she was only getting angrier. She was finding it hard to believe she had ever liked ANYTHING about this pathetic, sniveling coward-- every good feeling that she had ever had about him was being tainted and distorted at this moment.

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP! KAWORU IS A GOOD PERSON-- HE WOULDN'T HURT A FLY!"

"HOW ARE YOU SO SURE ABOUT THAT!" Shinji yelled back. Asuka was struck speechless at this statement, unable to answer at first.

"...Because he's my friend," she said quietly and with a certainty that surprised even herself. She then turned her back on Shinji as she spoke again, in a cold, furious voice. "This conversation is over." Shinji only stared at her as she pushed the door open with a bang and stomped out.

_God...I'm such an idiot..._

* * *

Rei watched as Shinji and Asuka disappeared behind the door to his room, unable to ignore a strange ache in her chest that had occured when he had grabbed Asuka's hand. 

_...What is this? I know that he loves me, yet...I cannot help feeling this way when they are together._

"...Is something wrong?" Kaworu's voice broke Rei's train of thought. She turned her head to see that his hand was barely an inch from her shoulder. She knew that he was making an effort to show compassion for her, but she instinctively pushed his hand away before he could make contact. The silver-haired boy blinked in surprise at Rei's defensiveness.

"So...you don't like me either?" He said in reference to Shinji's attitude toward him, a smile playing on his lips. Rei shifted her head so that she could make eye contact with Kaworu, their red eyes clashing.

"...No. I apologize, but...I do not believe I could ever be your friend." She felt guilty for being so cold to someone she barely knew, but something inside her told her that he could not be trusted. To her surprise, Kaworu began to chuckle lightly to himself.

"How amusing...Shinji said the very same thing to me once." Rei said nothing, she only continued to stare at Kaworu with a bit of apprehension. "...I can see why you two get along so well."

"...Is there something you want to say to me?" the pale girl asked with a slight undertone of anger. She was becoming aggravated by him, though she wasn't sure why. He then gave her a cold grin.

"Only this: That you were a fool to become involved with him." Rei froze. Her anger disappeared, leaving her paralyzed by uncertainty as he continued to speak. "You sense it, don't you? You and him were not meant to share this world together."

_...No...That can't be..._

But Rei said nothing, she simply clenched her fists helplessly as Kaworu neared her.

"...Because you see..." he was so close now that only she could have heard him, "No matter what either of you may desire, you and I are the same...Sister."

Before she could even register what he had said, the sound of incoherent yelling drifted in from Shinji's room and both of them turned in the noise's direction. After a few minutes, Asuka burst in and grabbed Kaworu's wrist, making it clear she was ready to leave. She said nothing as her and Rei's eyes happened to meet, but if looks could kill, Rei would have fallen dead at that moment. Soon the door closed behind Asuka and her companion, leaving Rei and Shinji alone with their now troubled minds.


	32. Daniel

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same As Chapter 1.

Chapter 32: Daniel

Shinji walked out of his room slowly, hating himself for letting his argument with Asuka get so far out of hand. He sighed as he walked down the hall to see Rei standing there, staring distractedly off into the distance.

"...What did you want to speak to Asuka about?" Her voice was delicate and slightly sad, which caught the boy's attention.

"Oh, uh, nothing... I... I'm just worried about her, is all." Rei said nothing, she merely nodded. Shinji stared at her face, the melancholy evident on it beginning to bother him.

"Rei, is something wrong?" The girl with sky-blue hair slowly looked at him, then shook her head.

"...No." She lied as her thoughts slipped back to Kaworu.

* * *

Misato and Hyuga sat inside the Major's blue sedan as the mechanical locks in the car elevator clicked into place. After a few moments the moving platform began to descend, the cacophony of sliding metal on tracks filling the steel tunnel. This short, 7-minute journey from the surface of Tokyo-3 to the Geofront had only a few cameras on both arrival points and no surveillance in between, so it was the only place where they could speak without any fear of being overheard. The male technician pushed his thick glasses further up the bridge of his nose as he handed Misato a plain yellow dossier.

"...Thanks, Hyuga," the Major said with a smile. "I'm sorry I had to drag you into this." The lieutenant gave his commanding officer a sly grin.

"It's no problem, Major-- to be honest, I've been getting suspicious about this kid myself."

Misato turned her attention to the now open folder and looked through it. It was, usurprisingly, very thin, full of the same sort of minimal data that wasn't much more in depth than what she had discovered for herself-- a birthday on Second Impact, his physical information...

"Hmm...seems like NERV's as much in the dark as I am." Hyuga then pointed to a stapled set of papers further at the end of the stack.

"Here--I kinda 'borrowed' this from Maya."

The Major said nothing but gave her subordinate a look of surprise mixed with admiration. She pulled out the papers and noticed that it was an evaluation of the Fifth Child's synchronization data. Misato read through it once, then again, certain that she had read it incorrectly.

"...This can't be right...How can he set Unit-02's sync ratio to whatever he wants it to!" Hyuga sighed as he stared out the window, down at the glittering lake that lay sprawled out in front of the pyramid that was NERV Headquarters.

"I know. It's hard to believe, but there it is, in black-and-white. It was hard as hell to get this data, too-- personally, I think that this wasn't intended for General Staff review, if you know what I mean."

Misato stared at the printout with a mixture of fury and dread.

"...Who wrote this evaluation?" She didn't have to look far for an answer, though. At the end of the last page was a familiar signature.

THIS EVALUATION WRITTEN AND VERIFIED BY CHIEF SCIENTIST DR. RITSUKO AKAGI.

* * *

_His sister..._

Rei repeated Kaworu's words in her head over and over again as she sat on the couch with Shinji, both absentmindedly watching TV.

What did he mean by that? It had been bothering her all night. She could tell just from looking at Kaworu that they were very similar physically, but his statement had somehow implied at something more.

Does he...know the truth about me?

And if he did, what did that mean about Kaworu? Could he also have Angelic origins? The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. But then why hadn't he attacked yet? What was he waiting for?

She looked unconciously over at Shinji, who was watching the flickering screen with glazed-over eyes.

_What if...he hurts..._

She tried to ignore the fear that had suddenly gripped at her, but it soon consumed her thoughts entirely. Suddenly Shinji turned the idiot box off, giving a yawn as the apartment darkened.

"...Well, it's probably about time to get to b...Rei?" He looked over to see Rei staring at him sadly. Before he could speak again, she leaned forward and hugged him, pinning his own arms to his sides. He flushed on instinct at Rei's closeness, but soon surrendered, allowing her to embrace him.

"...Rei?" he muttered into her shoulder, unable to move.

"Yes?" Shinji took a moment to allow his mind to work properly.

"...What is it?"

"I..." Rei couldn't define what she was feeling at this moment in words-- a combination of fear and uncertainty and sadness that threatened to overwhelm her. "...I don't know." What she did know, however, was that the source of her anxieties was a single young man with silver hair and red eyes.

_I won't let you be hurt, Shinji. Not by him or by anyone._

They sat like that together until Rei felt Shinji's breathing become slow and even, then helped him lay safely onto the couch so he could sleep. After watching him for another hour, she walked to Shinji's room and laid down in a vain attempt to slumber. It was the first sleepless night she'd had in a long, long time.

* * *

Halfway across the city, Kaworu also lay in bed unable to sleep. An image of Asuka appeared unheeded to him, as if in a desperate attempt to discourage himself from what was coming.

_No,_ he thought as he sadly pushed her away from his mind's eye.

_It will happen tomorrow. And there can be no going back._

* * *

Ritsuko heard the sound of footsteps stop outside her cell even through the thick steel door. She turned her head away as it slid up, pouring blinding light into the patch of near-total darkness that she sat in. She didn't need to turn around to guess who it was.

"...I've been expecting you, Major Katsuragi."

Misato didn't answer at first. It was uncomfortable for her to see the woman she had once considered a friend looking so completely despondent, yet it wasn't out of sympathy that she had come.

"I need to ask you something, Doctor." Ritsuko allowed a twisted smile to play on her lips as she continued to stare at the opposite wall.

"Our conversation is being monitored, you know."

"I don't care. This is more important than being reprimanded," Misato said a bit more harshly than she intended. "The Fifth Child-- what is he really?" Ritsuko sighed, letting silence fill the room before her answer reverberated through the small cell and the woman who recieved it.

"...He is probably the last Angel."

A/N: Just a little note: Ritsuko's line was a deliberate reference to "Silence of the Lambs." Just in case you missed it :) See you all next chapter!


	33. Nehemiah

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 33: Nehemiah

Gendo stared up at Unit-01 from the catwalk that also served as a restraint for the powerful demon. Yet deep within this abomination of steel and flesh lay a woman whom the Commander of NERV knew very well. A woman who, regardless of his infidelity, he had never once stopped thinking about. It was the reason he had struggled so hard to have this organization in his hands, after all. Why he was willing to perform the unthinkable just for the chance to see her again.

"It has been a long road," he spoke clearly to the Eva, as if it were an old friend of his. "...But soon the 12th Angel will reveal himself. And after that happens, there will be nothing that will stand between us."

"Yui...Please be patient."

* * *

Rei rubbed her eyes as the sun's light, filtered through half-shut blinds, fell upon her. She wasn't sure how much sleep she had actually gotten, but considering how tired she was, it couldn't have been a lot. Her fatigue left her as she recalled what she had been planning that night, the whole reason that she hadn't slept at all. 

_The Fifth Child..._

Rei's initial dislike of Kaworu had grown into a deep loathing over the course of 24 hours. But it wasn't necessarily because he was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Or that he was an Angel. It was because she reminded him of everything she once was and what she no longer wanted to be. He had a wider range of emotions he displayed, but that was irrelevant. He was just a doll like her, used by madmen in their quest to play God.

_But I...I am not a doll. Not anymore._

With that thought, Rei silently got dressed in her school uniform, though why she chose that she could not explain. Afterwards, she quietly opened the door, walking softly so as not to wake up her fellow resident. Fortunately, Shinji was still asleep on the couch, right where she had left him. Rei was going to walk right past him and to the door, but stopped as her eyes fell on the boy resting peacefully. She then smiled at him as she paused, taking him in for what she thought might be the last time she ever saw him. She opened her mouth to whisper goodbye, but then she remembered something Shinji had once told her. He had said not to say 'goodbye' when she left on a mission, because it made him sad. So Rei leaned in closer and whispered into his ear the words she meant only for him to ever hear.

"...Thank you."

She looked at him for a few more minutes before she mustered up the courage to leave.

* * *

Kaworu stared off into the distance, his mind far away from the toast and fruit on his plate. Asuka managed to stop her ravenous eating long enough to notice that her friend had something on his mind. It wasn't normal for her to be concerned about someone else, but then, her relationship with Kaworu wasn't exactly normal to begin with. Not that she minded a bit, though.

"Kaworu?" The silver-haired boy didn't respond, he merely began to poke at his slice of melon absentmindedly. Now Asuka knew that something was up. "...Kaworu!"

"Hmm?..." He glanced in her direction, then his eyes widened as if he suddenly remembered who she was. "Oh-- forgive me, Asuka, was there something you needed?" His smile returned to its proper place on his lips, which satisfied Asuka a bit, but didn't entirely shake her feeling of discomfort.

"Well, it just...It seems like there's something on your mind." Kaworu's grin began to slip, but he managed to catch it before it fell entirely.

"Don't worry, Asuka. Everything's fine." To his surprise, she reached her hand across the small table and put it on his. He stared at it, his mouth slightly open as she gently squeezed his hand.

"Kaworu..." She forced his eyes to meet hers, a look of genuine concern written on her face. "...Tell me, what is it? We're friends--you know you can trust me, right?" The boy tried to keep his eyes fixed on Asuka, but his guilt made it impossible.

"...It's nothing," he said quietly as he bored his eyes into the laquered wood. Asuka understood then that he simply didn't want to talk about it, so she reluctantly moved her hand back to her side of the table.

"...All right..." An uncomfortable silence filled the room, making Asuka shudder slightly. After a few moments Kaworu put his dishes into the sink, then headed for the door. The redhead looked up and furrowed her brow slightly as she saw him walk. "...Where are you going?" Kaworu stopped where he was standing, with his back to Asuka.

"...I have to go to NERV. I was asked to come in for a few tests." The half-German girl stood up and took a few steps toward her friend.

"Well, here, I'll come with you." Kaworu slowly turned around until he was facing her, and Asuka paused when she saw the sad smile on his face.

"...I'm sorry Asuka...you can't come with me." Asuka's face darkened at Kaworu's rejection, but she nodded as if she understood.

"O-okay...Then...I'll see you later, right?"

Kaworu didn't answer as he walked out the door, leaving Asuka behind and with a troubled, confused heart.

* * *

_The last Angel...The 12th..._

Misato stared blankly into space as the memory of her conversation with Ritsuko went through her head. She was supposed to be paying attention to the current sattellite surveillance of the area surrounding Tokyo-3, but all she could think about was Kaworu's true identity.

_If Ritsuko knew...then that must mean that the Commander knows as well. But why would they allow SEELE to drop an Angel to our doorstep? And why are they letting him roam free?_

The Major wanted nothing more at this moment than to kill Kaworu, or at the very least place him under solitary confinement where he could hurt no one. But would that really do any good?

_If he is an Angel...then all we have to do is wait for his pattern to change._

She sighed to herself as she reached for her mug of coffee sitting on a nearby console. She nearly spit it out as the thick black liquid ran down her throat. She stared at her cup as though it were an old friend who had betrayed her.

_Cold, as usual. Damnit._

* * *

Kaworu stood on the retractable catwalk in the cage for Unit-02, staring at the behemoth spellbound by the human magic known as science.

_Such a horrible thing. To think that the lilim would employ that which they fear the most to fight us._

Suddenly he became aware of a presence only a few feet to his right, though he had heard no sound to alert him to the interloper's arrival. He smiled coldly at the Eva before turning his attention to the pale girl now standing at the other end of the Cage.

"Hello, Rei. I knew you would come."

Shewas silent for a few moments, then slowly moved forward with a determined expression on her face.

"It's just as well that you're here," Kaworu said calmly. "...I was hoping we would have the opportunity to speak."


	34. Jude

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 34: Jude

Rei now stood only a few feet from Kaworu in the Cage before Unit-02, their crimson eyes locked as though they were daring each other to attack. Rei chose instead to break the silence.

"...You are the last Angel...are you not?" Kaworu blinked in mild surprise, then smiled.

"...Well, I have to say I'm not surprised that you were able to discover it. That Major of yours, though...I certainly did not expect as much trouble as she's been giving me."

"Major Katsuragi tends to not take too kindly to Angels," Rei said with just enough sarcasm that the silver-haired boy let out a snicker.

"...Even now, you don't cease to amaze me, Sister. I suppose the old men were correct-- you HAVE deviated too far from your intended persona." Rei glared at him, the fury evident in her eyes though her calm voice did not betray her emotions.

"Why do you insist on calling me that...Kaworu?"

"Because," he said with a calm smile, "...we ARE related. In fact, we are far closer to each other on the genetic level than you are to your dear Shinji, even if you were cloned from his own mother. And with that closeness comes certain...similarities. You see, Rei, both of us were created as shells in order to chain down beings far beyond the understanding of the lilim."

Rei's anger instantly evaporated, replaced by shock at the Fifth Child's words.

"...What?..."

"Either one of us would have been acceptable to possess Adam for the purpose of bringing about Third Impact. Yet when the Twelfth Angel appeared in its quantum form, SEELE chose to appoint me as its vessel, while Commander Ikari was entrusted with you. You were the one tossed aside, left to wait for SEELE to determine when their desired apocalypse would come about."

The pale girl stared at her adversary in disbelief. Yet in spite of her astonishment at this new understanding of her existence, she spoke in a clear, strong tone.

"...What I am is of no importance. I will not allow myself to be used by NERV or by SEELE any longer. And I will not allow you to harm Shinji or anyone else."

"But you see, Rei..." Kaworu said as he began to draw nearer to her, "...what you are _is_ significant. Especially since it is for that reason I will not be the final form of the 12th." The First Child stared at Kaworu curiously, but the anger radiating from her did not lessen.

"...I was intended to gain Shinji's trust and then to destroy it, so as to create in the Third Child the desire that SEELE intended him to have. Yet he has refused my company and my friendship, making it impossible for me to do so. But _you_..." He smiled at Rei significantly as he leaned closer, while the pale girl held her ground, refusing to be intimidated by him. "...You have become his only true emotional support instead of me. As such, it's only fitting that you fulfull the remainder of my duties...Sister."

He then leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. The anger building up in Rei reached a boiling point at that moment, but before she could react, she felt an overwhelming surge of power flow into her. She desperately tried to fight it, almost instantly knowing what it was, but it was too much.

_...No..._

Without warning, she collapsed to the floor with a thud. Kaworu wobbled uncertainly on his own legs, clutching his forehead. It certainly FELT like it had worked, but he wasn't entirely sure. He concentrated on the door at the other end of the Cage, but it refused to budge.

_So, I could transfer it._

He looked down at the girl lying on the ground with her eyes wide and blank, her body twitching slightly as if she was having an epileptic spell. Sweat was pouring from Kaworu's face like he'd run a marathon, and his knees began to give out from under him.

"...If only you had never loved him..." Kaworu struggled to say before he lost conciousness, " Then...it would not be you..."

At that moment, his strength failed him as his head made contact with the cold metal floor, sending him into darkness.

* * *

Shinji stared at the simple cereal he had made for breakfast, unmotivated to cook by the absence of Rei. When he woke up, he had been disappointed that she wasn't already up, so he had looked in his room. But she wasn't there, nor was she in any of the other rooms in the apartment. 

_...I wonder if she's okay?_

It was probably nothing to worry about. She'd obviously left to do something, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, she couldn't be around him all the time. Still, it was hard to not worry, as her constant presence had been something of a comforting thing for him. He was about to take another bite of the wheat squares when the phone in the kitchen began to ring.

_Who could it be this early in the morning? Probably just a telemarketer or something..._

He sighed as he set his spoon down and walked a few feet to the reciever, picking it up slowly.

"...Hello?" he said unenthusiastically into the phone. On the other side of the line, he heard a panicked, worried voice he identified instantly as Misato's.

"Shinji, get down to the NERV branch hospital right away! It's about Rei..." If Shinji had seen himself at that moment, he would have thought he was looking at a ghost.

"W-wait, what about Rei! What happened!"

"I'll tell you when you get here-- just hurry up!"

* * *

Shinji managed to arrive at the hospital within 15 minutes, since Providence had allowed him to hail a cab and they were normally impossible to catch. After hurriedly overpaying the driver, he ran to the reception desk for information, but Misato was already standing there waiting for him. 

"There you are!" she said with a bit of impatience, even though it would have taken him twice as long on the train. She quickly headed off toward one of the elevators, Shinji needing no one to tell him to follow her. Once they were inside, she pressed the button for the 4th floor and waited for the mechanical doors to slide shut. Once they started moving, Shinji decided it was time to start getting answers.

"Misato? What happened?" The older woman let out an exasperated sigh, more from the ordeal than from his question.

"...I'm not sure myself, Shinji. What we do know is that about an hour or so ago, we detected a Blue pattern for approximately 0.023 seconds inside NERV Headquarters."

Shinji stared at his superior officer in shock, but she continued, unaware of his reaction.

"We managed to trace it to the Cages, but when we got there, the only thing we found was Rei and Kaworu lying unconscious in front of Unit-02."

The elevator let out a ping to singnal its arrival at the chosen destination. Once the doors were open, Misato and her ward rushed down the available hallway.

"Wait, why was Rei there? And what was Kaworu doing at NERV! How could an Angel get inside without anyone realizing--"

"I DON'T KNOW, SHINJI!" His guardian bellowed in frustration. When she saw the frightened look on Shinji's face, though, she calmed slightly. "...Sorry, Shinji...I'm just..." --she let out another sigh--"...I'm just confused about this whole thing. It's all a great big mess, just like before..." Shinji looked at her with growing comprehension.

"A...are you saying that...whatever happened at NERV... was what happened at the hospital with Asuka?" He didn't see his guardian glare angrily into the distance as an image of Kaworu came to her mind.

"Yes...I think that's definitely what it is."

Within minutes, they came to their destination, Room 420 in the Intensive Care ward. It was one of the many rooms big enough for two people, and there Kaworu and Rei lay. Shinji barely gave the boy at the opposite end of the room a second glance before turning his attention entirely to the pale girl lying on the bed before him.

"...Rei?" He hadn't really expected her to answer, but the silence that his voice was met with did nothing to comfort him. He walked closer to the bed, as if an awareness of his presence would help her wake up.

"When we found her, it looked like she was having some sort of attack. We tried to treat her, but none of the muscle relaxants or sedatives worked."

"Wait, so is she--" Shinji began with fear. Misato, thankfully gave him a small smile and shook her head.

"Don't worry. She stabilized right after we got her here, so she's going to be fine."

The boy breathed a sigh of relief, then quietly put his hand on Rei's, squeezing it as though afraid of dropping her. The relative peace in the room was shattered as the sound of shoes running on tile filled the outside hallway, followed by a shock of firey red hair bursting through the door.

"Asuka...?" Misato said in surprise at the girl's sudden arrival.

"Where is he?" she sounded nearly hysterical from the degree of fear and worry evident in her voice. Before the Major could answer, Asuka looked into the other end of the cubicle and saw the object of her anxiety lying comatose in the other hospital bed. "Kaworu!" She ran to him without a second thought, then took a bewildered look at him before turning around angrily at Misato. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?"

"Asuka, keep your voice down!" Misato whispered dangerously at her. Almost against her own will, Asuka sighed and relaxed her clenched fists, but her eyes remained as full of frustration as before. When she saw that her other subordinate was calm, Misato related to Asuka what she knew about the incident in the Cage. By the time she had finished, any fury the redhead may have exhibited on her features was replaced by concerned astonishment. Shinji barely paid the conversation any mind, as the whole of his attention was focused on Rei.

"...So it was an Angel?" Misato nodded gravely in response. After a few minutes of silence, a look of determined wrath had fallen on her features. "Well, then we have to get back to NERV and find it!"

"It's not that simple, Asuka. I told you, it wasn't even there for a full second-- we were lucky that we even caught it at all--"

"Then we'll look HARDER, damnit! If you think I'm going to let that thing get away after what it did to Kaworu..." Misato flinched slightly. She didn't want to tell Asuka that Kaworu was the most likely suspect in her book, but as close as she was to him she was only putting herself in danger. She had kept meaning to tell the half-German her suspicions, but as often as she had been gone she'd had no opportunity. Besides, a blow like that might just make her unable to pilot again...

"Asuka...I know that you want to protect your friend, but there's not much we can do for them at this point. Besides," the violet-haired woman said sadly, "...As for the Angel, we don't even know where we would look."

"...I can think of a good starting point," the redhead said angrily as she acknowledged Rei for the first time since she had been here. Shinji caught the vicious glance at Rei as well as the implication behind it, and before he knew what he was doing he walked up toAsuka until they were toe-to-toe.

"Asuka...You can't mean Rei!"

"Why not?" She said coldly, her anger now focused on Shinji. "...I wouldn't put anything past that freak. Or do you _love_ her too much to think she would EVER do something like that?" Shinji's face was soon screwed up in anger as he stared down Asuka.

"What about YOU? We barely know Kaworu but you seem to think he's absolutely perfect-- If anyone's making a mistake with misplaced trust here, it's you!"

"The only mistake I made was to think that I could _ever_ be friends with that pathetic, soulless inhuman bitc--"

A fist came out of nowhere and made contact with Asuka's face, knocking her back into the wall. It was only after a few minutes that both she and Shinji realized that it was _his_ fist. For a few minutes Misato could only stare, speechless, while Asuka gave Shinji a wide-eyed look of utter disbelief and the boy himself gaped at himself, wondering what force on earth could have made him angry enough to hit Asuka. Fortunately, the girl wasn't hurt that badly, she simply looked as though the effect of being hit by Shinji had damaged her more than the actual punch. A doctor, who had heard the commotion, walked up in the hallway and looked at the trio curiously.

"Excuse me-- are you the ones responsible for all the noise?"

"Uhh..." Misato began nervously, "We're sorry--"

"If you cannot maintain the silence necessary for the patients here, I will have to ask you and the other visitors to leave, ma'am."

"Oh, don't worry. We were just leaving," the Major said apologetically. The doctor gave them all a stern look before walking off, leaving behind only the uncomfortable silence. Misato sighed as she grabbed both children by the arm and headed toward the elevator. Both of them clearly wanted to stay with their bedridden friends, but knew that now was not the time to make such requests. "We're going back to NERV. We might be able to plan something out there."

Neither Shinji nor Asuka spoke. The simply allowed Misato to lead them away.

"...I know you two are worried. But neither of you can afford to mistrust each other--or Rei--right now."

* * *

Night fell over the hospital as Kaworu awoke from sleep. He raised his hand to his face as he lifted himself up and got out of bed. 

_So this is how it feels...to be 'human'._

He knew that there were cameras in this room, but at this point it made no difference. He quickly found his clothes, folded in the bedside storage cabinet, and slipped them on. He quietly approached the door, opening it slightly to make sure there was no one who could see him. When the coast was clear, he snuck out of the room and the hospital, making his way straight to NERV.

_...And now to wait for Commander Ikari._

* * *

The hospital security guard stared at the wall of monitors before him, not really watching any particular one and merely glancing back and forth between them. He took a sip of his scalding hot coffee as he fought to keep his eyes open. It was nearly 11:00, and there were still two more hours until the shift was over. 

_I must have been a fool to agree to the graveyard shift._

Suddenly, he noticed something odd on one of the screens. It was the camera for Room 420, but there was no one there.

_Well, at least now something's happening._

He looked at all the videofeeds for the fourth floor and looked for 420's two occupants. It didn't take long before he'd found one. He turned on the intercom for the front desk and spoke clearly into it.

"Attention security, be advised: patient Rei Ayanami, Room 420, is wandering the fourth floor halls. Current location is at intersection of hallways 4-C and 4-D."

* * *

It didn't take security long to locate the young girl. She was walking slowly with her head hung, her turquoise bangs making her face impossible to see clearly. Her footsteps were somewhat uneven, as though she was struggling to walk. 

"Rei Ayanami?" The girl stopped at the sound of her name, but did not move as the guards approached her.

"...Your physician hasn't cleared you to leave your room." Rei said nothing in response, she only continued to stare at the floor as though it were the most interesting thing she had ever seen. One of the guards looked at her curiously.

_Wasn't this patient declared 'comatose?'_

He ignored the thought as he got closer and put a hand firmly on her shoulder. "Here, we'll escort you back."

But Rei refused to budge. It was then that the guard suddenly noticed something odd about the girl.

She was glowing. He wasn't sure if she had been shimmering like that before or if he had just now noticed it, but he pulled his hand cautiously away nontheless.

"Patient Ayanami?"

Slowly, Rei lifted her head to reveal a smile that had spread across her face. But her smile lacked any sort of warmth, only reflecting a cold mockery of joviality. A smile much like Kaworu's.

It was the last thing the two men saw as the hall was suddenly filled with a blinding flash of light and heat. Within moments, all that remained of the medical building was a shining crucifix of light that pierced the darkness for miles beyond, alerting the world to the arrival of the 12th Angel.


	35. John I

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 35: John I

"Major!" The urgency in Maya's voice made Misato drop her mug of coffee, causing it shatter on the steel floor of the Bridge. "We've just lost contact with the NERV Hospital!"

"What?" The Major said in shock. Hyuga turned from his own console and directed his attention to his superior officer.

"There's more--we've detected an AT Field!" At that, the violet-haired woman's face got almost deathly pale.

"...I want confirmation--Immediately!"

"No mistaking it, Major-- Pattern Blue!"

_So, he's finally showing himself,_ Misato thought with a degree of satisfaction, but there was no time to be congratulating herself now.

"Where is it?" Misato shouted over the blaring of the klaxons alerting the rest of NERV to the arrival of the new Angel.

"It's coming from the direction of the hospital-- 124.38 Kilometers away and closing!"

"What! It's INSIDE the Geo-Front?" Misato grit her teeth at the severity of the situation, but being unprepared would not prevent her from taking action. "Send out Units-01 and 02 to intercept! Aoba! Make sure the Evas are equipped for medium-range fire!"

* * *

Within minutes the railcage for Unit-01 reached the Geo-Front's surface in an area shielded from view by a thick forest, while the crimson Unit-02 came up a few dozen kilometers closer to NERV Headquarters. Shinji used his Eva to grab the pellet gun locked in place near the lift and headed out into the foliage for cover. 

"Misato-- where's the Angel coming from!" Asuka barked into the intercom, her fury evident.

"...The hospital's to the west. It should be here within about a minute." Shinji swallowed as he looked in the specified direction and saw thick black smoke billowing beyond the trees.

_Rei...What if she's..._

Misato had told both of them that the hospital where Rei and Kaworu were was destroyed moments ago by the Angel. When Shinji demanded to know if Rei was all right, the Major had only said there were no confirmed fatalities yet and the most important issue at hand was to stop the being from getting any closer to NERV. Asuka had not spoken for the entire duration of the briefing, but her next words derailed the boy's train of thought.

"Shinji."

The boy said nothing, but the redhead knew he was listening.

"...This one's mine."

Asuka had maneuvered Unit-02 into a crouching position, leaning on its left leg as it lifted the massive Sniper rifle from the ground nearby and let it rest in the crook of the behemoth's arm. She had tried to sound calm on the intercom, but her fear and anger were evident to all who had heard her.

_Kaworu...Please don't be dead..._

All she wanted right now was for the Angel to show up. After so long outside the cockpit, she'd enjoy killing this one. Suddenly off in the distance, she saw a speck of light moving closer. Asuka channeled her thoughts to the Eva, raising the rifle and bringing down the computer-assisted sight.

_I swear to God...I won't let you live for this you--_

The redhead paused, uncertain that what she was seeing was real.

* * *

"The Angel's entered visual range-- putting image onscreen!" 

Aoba set the gigantic monitor in the bridge to display the feed from short-range monitor #37. Within moments the entire bridge gasped collectively. Misato stared at the screen as in disbelief.

_No...It-it can't be..._

Shinji sat paralyzed in the Entry Plug as Rei floated into sight. Her body was clad in a simple hospital gown, which ebbed and flowed in the wind and made the bioluminesence she was exhibiting all the more blinding. Her crimson eyes were half-shut and she had a peaceful smile on her face, almost making it seem like she was sleepwalking. As Rei steadily moved toward NERV, all Shinji could do was stare.

_No... Please God, no..._

Rei paid him no mind as she paused in midair, still miles away from his and Asuka's position, and gazed at the NERV pyramid.

* * *

Suddenly the crystal clear image of Rei staring directly at the camera disappeared, replaced by static. 

"Major, we've lost visual!"

"Surveillance isn't working!" Maya chimed in.

Misato yelled into her voice reciever at the two Pilots. "Asuka, Shinji? Shinji, can you read me!"

"It's no good! Contact between us and Units-01 and 02 has been cut off!" Misato snapped her flimsy microphone in frustrated anger.

"GODDAMNIT!"

_Is the Angel doing this on purpose?_

"Do we still have tracking?" she demanded. Fortunately, Maya gave an affirmative nod, though she clearly looked shaken from what she had seen.

"...Yes, ma'am. Sh...she's still holding position about 67 kilometers from our current location."

"Good. Keep her movements under observation-- I want to know the MINUTE she moves, understood?"

"Major..." Misato turned her head to Hyuga, who looked as worried as she felt. "What are we going to do about Rei?" Misato looked at the technician sadly, trying to hold back confused tears and barely succeeding. It was clear when she spoke next that her orders were the last ones she ever wanted to give.

"...Just focus on trying to re-establish contact with the Evas. A...at this moment, Pilot Rei Ayanami...i-is to be reclassified as the Twelfth Angel."

Meanwhile, directly above her, Fuyutsuki leaned down to the Commander of NERV. "Ikari... what does this mean? This is NOT the form the last Angel was to supposed to take..." When he was met with silence, he turned his head to get a better look at his former pupil. "...Commander?"

To his surprise, Gendo was staring at the crackling monitor with an unmistakable, but completely unexpected, look of fear in his eyes.

* * *

"Misato? Misato!" Shinji called into the intercom desperately, but no response came, save the hiss of static.

_...What do I do?_

* * *

Asuka stared at the floating Rei for nearly a minute before she came back to her senses. She could tell from Shinji's desperate yelling that they'd lost contact with NERV-- leaving them effectively in limbo. But Asuka was not one to wait for an order to attack when the enemy was banging down the gates. What made her current position particularly unnerving was that Rei was essentially staring right at her, wearing what seemed like a mocking smile. Asuka glared at the girl she had once piloted alongside...Who she had fought and argued with... Who she had tried to befriend... Who had taken Shinji away...And now had betrayed them, killing in the process the only person who had shown her any degree of real kindness.

_This is for the best,_ Asuka convinced herself as she took aim at her target, waiting with bated breath as the computer started to correct for error. Within seconds, the monitor beeped rapidly as the twin crosshairs combined and flashed onscreen. As she pulled the trigger, she was almost aware of a twisted satisfaction stirring deep within her.

"Asuka, WAIT!"

She heard the voice, but didn't register it until something hit Unit-02 from the right and forced it to the ground. The sudden movement was just enough to throw her aim off, sending a Greyhound-sized explosive bullet screaming just past Rei and into the far wall of the Geo-Front. The ground shook as the force of the multi-ton blast sent fire-laced shrapnel into the surrounding buildings and foliage. Asuka rubbed her head in pain and looked up.

_Did I get her...?_

But Rei was still alive, now steadily moving towards NERV as though nothing had happened.

_What? How the hell..._

She forced her Eva to shift under its pinnings and saw Unit-01 holding her down, the Sniper rifle knocked from her hands and into the ground, making cracks where it had landed. Asuka stared at the purple-hued monster in shock before fury overwhelmed her.

"...Shinji! What the hell are you doing!" She couldn't see his face, but his voice came through as clearly as if he was standing right beside her.

"Asuka, we can't kill her! She's our friend..."

"It doesn't matter! She betrayed us! She's a goddamned Angel, Shinji!"

"I KNOW, ASUKA! ...But...but there has to be something we can do, she's not herself!"

Asuka couldn't believe what she was hearing. Here his precious Rei had already destroyed a hospital full of people... and yet he still... He still...

Without warning, Asuka's wrath overwhelmed her, giving her the strength to force Unit-01 off of her. Shinji let out a groan as his Eva flipped and slammed backside up into the grass, the movements nearly snapping his neck. He looked up to see Unit-02 scrambling for the rifle half-buried in the ground, pulling it up so quickly that chucks of the earth around it flew into the air and smashed into some of the surrounding trees. Not bothering to lock on, Asuka simply decided to aim blindly, firing in Rei's direction but hitting the area around the dome instead.

_**I think you've done enough damage, Asuka.**_

The girl blinked as she realized that the voice she had just heard had come from Rei. She was far enough away that no noise she made should have been intelligible, yet it came directly through Unit-02's recievers. Rei continued to smile at her, which made the redhead angrier.

"SHUT UP, YOU BITCH!" she screamed at her, not sure if Rei could even hear her. But before Asuka could fire another round, the rifle exploded in the Eva's hands, forcing it back. Rei then ignored Unit-02 again, moving slowly toward Headquarters. Asuka reached out in a vain attempt to stop Rei, but Unit-01 caught its wrists.

"Asuka, NO! I...I might be able to help her, just hold o--"

Again Asuka overpowered Shinji, but this time she didn't content herself with forcing him down. She pushed Unit-01's arms back, giving her time to wrap Unit-02's hands around the other Eva's throat. Shinji stared at Unit-02 in shock, desperately trying to breathe as Unit-01's pain began to affect him.

"A...Asuka...s-stop..."

"YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS, DIDN'T YOU! YOU KNEW SHE WAS AN ANGEL, I KNOW YOU DID! AND YOU LET THAT BITCH KILL HIM! YOU PROBABLY HELPED HER DO IT, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Asuka tightened her grip as her emotions overwhelmed her, completely forgetting about the Angel that had come to a stop in front of NERV Headquarters.


	36. John II

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 36: John II

N/A: Sorry this one's so late-- I tried to put it up earlier but the site was down >:( Anyway, on with the story...

"Major--Unit-02 is attacking Unit-01!"

"WHAT!"

"Pilot's life signs fading...He won't last much longer!" Thinking fast, Misato pointed to Hyuga.

"Cut the umbilical for Unit-02-- Emergency power shutoff!"

* * *

Asuka's grip on Shinji wavered as a siren went off in the Entry Plug, alerting her to the severance of her main source of power. Shinji felt her stranglehold slacken, and using the opportunity, pushed Asuka off. Unit-02 stumbled backward and crashed unceremoniously into the ground.

* * *

"Unit-02's external AND internal power sources have been shut down--The Eva's completely silent!" 

"Good," Misato barked at the engineer stationed lower on the bridge. "...We'll send out a recovery squad as soon as we can."

* * *

Rei's crimson eyes flashed as she focused her thoughts on the surface of the NERV pyramid. Upon her will, another shining crucifix materialized, tearing through the thick wall of reinforced steel and metal. The command bridge shook from the force of the explosion and Misato only just barely succeded in staying on her own two feet. 

"What happened!"

"The Angel's broken through the last 12 armor plates-- main elevator shaft exposed!"

The blinding light of the explosion pulled Shinji's attention back to Rei, who had turned back to stare at him from her place before the gaping hole in Headquarters. Before he could react, she floated casually into the gap she had made, inherently aware of where it would lead. Shinji completely forgot about the unstable girl in the nearby Eva as he told his Unit-01 to run after the glowing Angel.

_Rei...!_

* * *

"...It's heading for Terminal Dogma! Passing first level...second level..." 

"Unit 01 in pursuit! Repeat, Unit-01 following the Angel and closing fast!"

Misato stared at the cutaway schematic of NERV on the display wall, showing the relative distances of Unit-01 to the 12th Angel. He was still a ways behind her, and while there was plenty of time before they made contact with Terminal Dogma, he needed to hurry in order to catch her.

"Shinji..." She whispered under her breath.

* * *

"Fuyutsuki...I'll leave this to you," Gendo said as he stood up from his desk on the bridge slowly. The Sub-Commander nodded, only just noticing the sidearm that Gendo had slipped in his pocket as he got on the small personal lift a few feet behind them. 

"Ikari...What are you going to do?" he muttered as he saw the unsettled-looking Commander of NERV descend.

* * *

Asuka pushed helplessly against the induction levers, but the Eva refused to budge. 

"Move! Move, goddamnit! I swear to God I'll kill her, I'll kill her, I'll KILL HER!" She struggled to hold back the tears of frustration and sorrow in her eyes, but they fell regardless, staining her lap and running down the rubber Plugsuit. "Sh-she killed him...Kaworu...please...help me..." Just as she was ready to surrender to her powerlessness, she heard the whirring and beeping of the Eva as it suddenly began to re-activate.

"W...what?" As the Unit-02 slowly got onto its feet, the front of its faceplate slid apart, revealing four horrible glowing eyes. Suddenly all questions left the girl's mind as she narrowed her turquoise eyes and tightened her grip on the controllers. All that mattered was that it was moving. And if it was moving, then it could fight an Angel.

* * *

"Major--Unit-02's gone berserk!" 

"WHAT! How is that possible?"

"Now moving toward the exposed shaft! Shaft entered--It's going into freefall!" Misato stared helplessly at the monitor as another flashing dot rapidly to descend.

* * *

Thanks to the S2 Engine, Unit-01 was no longer chained to the restrictions of a power supply-- or the laws of gravity. Shinji made his way steadily down the wide elevator shaft that led directly into the heart of NERV, looking for a floating speck of light in the darkness. Soon enough, he saw her. Floating down slowly, almost leisurely, as if this was merely a visit to a mildly interesting place. And then she looked up at him with a cold smile, the half-glazed, indifferent look still in her eyes. 

_**I've been waiting for you, Shinji.**_

"REI!" He wasn't sure if his outcry was in anger or fear, he just knew that he had to stop her. Hopefully without hurting her.

_It doesn't matter...I still..._

He reached out the Eva's hand to grab her out of midair, but a bloodcurdling scream above him grabbed his attention, making him look skyward. Unit-02 was growing from a barely discernable dot in the darkness above to a monstrosity of metal and flesh that soon smashed into Shinji. The force of the impact slammed Unit-01 into the steel cylinder around them, tearing up the metal from the overwhelming weight of the Eva.

"...Asuka!"

The girl in Unit-02 made no immediate response, she simply locked her Eva's legs around Unit-01 to prevent it from forcing her off, then forced the purple demon's helmeted head into the wall with her hand as they continued to slowly fall. Shinji groaned as he felt the steel's friction against his own face, then tried to ignore it as he made Unit-01 lean forward as much as Unit-02 would allow.

"Asuka, what are you doing!"

"...IF YOU'RE GOING TO DEFEND THAT BITCH THEN I'LL KILL YOU FIRST!" Asuka sounded half-hysterical, and if he could see her face Shinji would have seen an irrational anger burning in her eyes. She'd almost completely forgotten who she was after as the pain of losing Kaworu and of being rejected by Shinji blinded her. To ensure he knew she was serious, the left shoulder pauldron on Unit-02 opened to reveal its Progressive knife.

The blood-red Eva grabbed the humming blade and brought it down in one swift movement, Shinji barely managing to stop the attack with his own knife. Sparks flew as the two vibrating blades made contact, the shower of hot metal particles growing to a downpour as the two monsters strained against each other, while Rei passively watched from beside them.

"Rei, STOP!" Shinji yelled as he struggled to keep Asuka at bay. "Why is this happening!"

**_All I have done is synchronize with Unit-02 in place of its pilot. She's acting entirely of her own free will._**

"...But why?" came Shinji's response as his knife slipped, causing both his and Asuka's blades to curve off their marks, and Unit-01's blade to shoot towards Rei. Shinji tried to stop it, but before it could pierce her it hit a wall of solid air, a wall that made pulsing orange hexagons of light spread out from where the tip of the Prog knife had hit. The wide-eyed boy stared in astonishment, managing to block Unit-02's second attack with his right arm while he brought his own blade away from Rei. "I..Is that an AT Field?"

_**Correct. At least, that is what you lilim call this thing.**_

"Rei, please don't let this happen! You've got to stop Asuka! She's not in her right mind!"

_**If this is what she desires, then what law enforces me to stop her? She wished to kill you, so I feel no shame in providing her the opportunity she wished for. It was because of you, after all, that she lost her abilities and became vulnerable to my former body, is it not?**_

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, REI!" Shinji suddenly felt something cut into his right arm, and saw that Asuka had made a deep gash in Unit-01's limb and was thrusting the blade down again when Shinji blocked Unit-02, sending another flurry of sparks into the air.

_**Why do you insist on calling me by that name, Shinji?**_

"...Because that's who you ARE!" Shinji desperately shouted over the screaming of hot metal upon metal. Rei merely smiled at him as though he were a naive child.

_**There is no Rei Ayanami. Only Tabris remains.**_

* * *

Misato stared at the three dots all within a few feet of each other as they continued to get closer to Terminal Dogma. 

"How long until the Angel reaches the target?" Misato barked at Maya, who instantly began typing into her small computer pad.

"Calculating...Approximately 598 seconds and counting!" Misato grimaced as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

_Just short of 10 minutes..._ She leaned close to Hyuga's ear, so that she wouldn't be overheard by the rest of the personnel.

"If Unit-01's signal disappears or if anything else should occur..." Fortunately, she didn't need to finish her sentence, as the technician nodded gravely.

"Got it--I'll input the self-destruct for the whole facility. It's better than letting Third Impact occur. Besides," he allowed himself a wry smile as he looked at the Major, "...There's no place I'd rather die than by your side, Major." In spite of the situation, Misato smiled appreciatively as she kept her eyes glued to the screen.

* * *

Gendo ran along the hallway that lead to the emergency elevator, installed in a dark corner of the facility. It was the only lift in NERV that ran along a straight vertical rail, and more importantly, led directly to Terminal Dogma. 

_This should not have happened. There's no way that it could have been in the scenario..._ His thoughts were as frantic, and anyone who saw him at that moment would scarcely have recognized him-- His cold, calculating manner had disappeared in the face of the last Angel's final form. He pulled out the gun in his pocket, looking it over to make sure it was properly loaded.

_Rei...I won't let you betray me. Not after everything I've sacrificed for this..._

He turned the last corner and saw the small elevator stationed right in front of him. Before he could enter, a familiar-sounding voice came from behind him.

"...Hello, Commander Ikari."

The leader of NERV turned in surprise and instinctively aimed his weapon at the voice's source. Standing in a far corner, just beyond the reach of the overhead light, was Kaworu.

"...I'll be taking it back now, if you don't mind," the boy said simply.


	37. John III

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 37: John III

Gendo stared at Kaworu in disbelief, his pistol still trained on the pale boy.

_...He should be dead now-- what is he doing here?_

"You..." He muttered angrily under his breath. "You were supposed to be the last Angel! It was in the scenario-- both mine and SEELE's!" Kaworu only regarded the Commander with an expression of mild interest while his face remained neutral.

"Yes, I was. However... changes in events beyond SEELE's control forced me to make drastic changes. She will die, thus killing the final Angel and leaving the lilim to initiate their own destruction. But it has been determined that you are not worthy of being entrusted with the initiation of the Rapture." Gendo smirked wickedly at Kaworu.

"And what power 'determined' this? Those old fools at SEELE?"

"No. I have," Kaworu said calmly as his eyes fell onto Gendo's right hand. "...So it is my duty to relieve you of Adam."

The Commander of NERV nearly dropped his gun in shock at that moment. He tried to conceal his astonishment, but Kaworu had already noticed, and was gazing at the aged Ikari determinedly.

"...What nonsense is this?" Gendo said with as much feigned outrage as he could muster.

"It is not wise to lie to me, Commander Ikari," Kaworu said coldly. "I'm already aware of where you've been hiding it." Gendo could hardly believe his ears.

_I took every precaution...I showed it to no one... How could he possibly know about it?_

In his rage, Gendo aimed the pistol straight at Kaworu's head and fired.

* * *

As Unit-01 and 02 continued to clash blades in midair, Rei watched them with a satisfied expression. 

_**The emotions of the lilim cause them to act in such amusing ways...yet I grow tired of them easily. Once I have achieved my goal, all of them shall be freed from such troublesome things.**_

Suddenly the shaft came to an end, opening up into a massive domed room with a red floor. Unit-02 pushed Unit-01 back so that it could break the fall, but Shinji, moving on pure instinct, pulled the red Eva in the same direction so that their positions were flipped. Unit-02 was the first to crash through the crimson surface, revealing that the floor was in fact a deep pool of LCL. Shinji groaned from the force of the landing, but righted himself as he turned his head around just in time to see a blue-haired girl floating in midair, paused before a massive steel door. Within seconds, Shinji recognized it. This door lead straight to...

"REI! DON'T DO IT, REI!" The Angel turned its head to calmly stare at him, a cold smile on her face.

_**Why? ...Will you kill me, Shinji?**_

The boy froze in his Entry Plug, unable to answer or perhaps afraid to. Sensing his hesitation, the Angel lost interest in Shinji, then turned to move back to the gate as if nothing had been said. Shinji started to run towards her, but without warning, the Eva stopped moving as something clung onto its leg. He turned his head to see Unit-02's four eyes burning up at him from just above the surface of the LCL that reached up to the Eva's thighs, the beast's right hand grappled onto Unit-01's leg.

"I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET, THIRD CHILD!" Asuka screamed from the cockpit of Unit-02, her voice full of bloodlust and anger.

* * *

Rei stared at the door, her eyes full of anticipation and longing. 

_**And thus vengeance shall be brought unto all mankind.**_

With that thought, the Angel opened the steel gate before her using only its thoughts.

* * *

"That's it. 'Heaven's Door' is open," Hyuga said as the dot onscreen indicated the Angel entering the main chamber of Terminal Dogma. Misato clenched her fist, praying quietly for strength and the resolve to follow through. 

"...So the Angel has finally reached its goal," the Major said significantly. She swallowed as she felt her death approach with every inch the Angel moved closer to the sleeping giant beneath their feet. But weighed against the life of every other person on earth, the sacrifice of NERV was a small one to make. "...Get ready," she whispered to Hyuga. He said nothing, he only nodded to indicate he had understood.

* * *

Shinji brandished his Prog knife as Unit-02 rushed him, aiming straight for Unit-01's neck but being sidestepped in the process. Shinji still didn't want to hurt Asuka, but if there was any hope of stopping Rei at this point, he'd have to get off the defensive. He swung the blade at Unit-02's back, but Asuka managed to twist the Eva around, catching Unit-01's vibrating blade with her own. The two armored monsters strained against each other, their titanic strength practically equal. Without warning, however, Asuka pulled her knife back, causing Unit-01 to lose its balance for about a second. That was all the girl needed.

* * *

The pale girl could sense that the personnel of NERV were rapidly making preparations for a desperate final attack. While such an explosion would only cause moderate damage to her, it would be an inconvenience to have Adam destroyed. 

_**Your eavesdropping has come to an end.**_

* * *

"Major, the Angel's expanding it's AT Field!" Misato furrowed her brow in worry. 

"WHAT?"

"The AT Field's shutting out all electrical signals-- we've lost all contact with Terminal Dogma!" She ran to Hyuga, who was busy typing rapidly into his console.

"What about the self-destruct?" Hyuga swallowed hard, his worry evident.

"Major...the radio signal for activation's been cut off, too. We're completely defenseless."

Misato froze as she stared blankly into space, then put her hand unconsciously on the simple metal cross around her neck.

_Well, I guess I'll be seeing you soon...Dad._

* * *

Rei stared at the epicenter of the vast circular room that she had entered. There stood the father of the Angels as well as the Evangelions, the weapon that man had ironically enlisted to fight them. A massive, almost humanoid-looking thing pinned to an equally large red crucifix. Its face was hidden by a metal faceplate bearing the sigil of SEELE. She stared passively at the being as she floated upward, to where she knew she would need to make contact. 

_**Oh, Adam...How the lilim have defiled you, shamed you for nothing. But they shall suffer for taking action against the messengers of God. For what they have done to all our brothers and sisters.**_

Rei brought her hand to the blinding white monstrosity, but all it did was touch the surface, not reacting.

_**What? How can this be? As his children should we not be able to--Wait...**_

Suddenly a thought occured to the Angel and it looked closer at the being as if it had missed something before.

_**This is...Lilith!**_

* * *

Asuka thrust the humming blade into Unit-01's chest, just barely missing the core. Shinji let out a scream of pain, clutching at himself where the knife had stabbed the Eva. Asuka pushed the knife in further, scattering sparks that smoked as they hit the red liquid splashing around them while they struggled. The pilot of Unit-02 was so focused on the damage she was doing to the purple Eva that she didn't see it swing its knife around and into Unit-02's eye. 

At once Asuka let the knife go as she clutched her own eye, screaming in unbearable agony while the Eva mimicked her movements around her. Shinji saw the opportunity he needed, and reached around Unit-02, ripping off the cover of the Entry Plug socket. Asuka tried to struggle but the intensity of the pain in her face distracted her, and soon Unit-01 had pulled the Entry Plug out.

"No...no...no...no...NO!" the half-German cried in fury as she pushed helplessly against the controls. "Please...please..." Shinji noticed an island in the blood-red lake, and carefully placed the Entry Plug on it.

_Asuka, I'm sorry...!_

Satisfied that she was safe, Shinji turned away from the powerless Eva as it fell into the LCL with a gigantic splash, wading slowly toward the open door. Meanwhile, Asuka had huddled into the fetal position inside the Plug, her head buried into her knees.

"...Goddamnit..." She whispered as bitter tears fell from her eyes.

* * *

"...Too slow," Kaworu uttered with pity in his voice. Gendo could only stare in shock-- Kaworu had not only managed to avoid three bullets at near point-blank range, but he had grabbed the Commander's gun hand and pushed it up with what seemed to be little effort. "I told you, Commander...Your are unworthy to possess Adam in the way you are." 

Before Gendo could fire again, Kaworu twisted his hand around in a single fluid motion that snapped the wrist, making him drop the gun to the floor with a clatter. Gendo grit his teeth as a few drops of sweat streaked down his face, but he made no verbal protestation. He could only watch helplessly as Kaworu slid the glove off the immobile right hand to reveal Adam's larval form, fused into the man's palm. The red-eyed boy narrowed his eyes in disgust.

"Hmm... just as I thought. You were too protective to avoid suspicion, Commander. Still, how blasphemous of you." Without another word, Kaworu forced the hand to his chest, which seemed to melt away, shirt and all, where Adam had made contact, but sealed up around Gendo's wrist. "...Only those intended to grasp the Divine should be allowed to do so...Commander Ikari." Suddenly Gendo could feel his hand being torn to shreds by some invisible force inside Kaworu. Unable to ignore the pain, Gendo Ikari let out a howl of pain as Adam was forcibly ripped away, echoing throughout the halls but unheard by all.

* * *

Rei stared at Lilith before her, an unspeakable anger burning within the Angel. 

_**All the others... they died in a vain attempt to reach HER?**_

Suddenly she felt a wave of energy from above her, as well as two presences. One she instantly identified as Adam, and the other was undoubtedly...

_**Kaworu!**_

The Angel narrowed Rei's eyes angrily as she felt the two beings fuse together.

_**How could he have hidden this knowledge from me? The traitor...**_

The rumble of massive footsteps mixed with the sound of liquid sloshing around got closer, making Rei turn her head to see Unit-01 standing there, the Progressive knife still wedged in its breastplate and looking rather battle-worn. She glared at the mockery of Adam that now faced her.

_**Now you shall die...son of Ikari.**_


	38. Lamentations

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1. I also don't own the song "I Can't Stop Loving You," originally written and performed by Ray Charles.

A/N: I would highly recommend finding a recording-- simply writing the lyrics doesn't do the beauty of this song any justice.

Chapter 38: Lamentations

Shinji stared down at the hovering Rei. In his eyes, it was still her, but...

_No. This thing took her away from me,_ he thought angrily to himself. _...If I have to fight her...Then I will._

**(I can't stop loving you...)**

Shinji made Unit-01 run towards the Angel, splashing LCL about as it went, but was stopped short as it hit the AT Field, practically sending the Eva bouncing backwards.

**I've made up my mind...**

Unit-01 managed to maintain its balance, however, catching itself on its left foot. Shinji groaned as he forced the Eva to throw a left hook at the wall of solid air, desperately trying to break through it.

**To live in memories **

**Of the lonesome time...**

The Angel narrowed its eyes at the Eva's insolent display of force, and with a single thought, re-directed its AT Field. Without warning, Unit-01's left arm, from the shoulder down, was torn off like a rag doll in the hands of a violent child.

**(I can't stop wanting you...)**

Shinji stopped his attack in shock, then a roar of pure agony flew out of his mouth, but he somehow managed to avoid collapsing from the psychological impact of the attack. The Angel prepared to strike again when something made it hesitate.

**It's useless to say...**

Somehow Shinji's cry of pain reverberated through the Angel-- or rather, to the dormant soul the Angel had suppressed. Tabris tried to ignore the growing disquiet within the body of Rei Ayanami, but this time it refused to be silenced.

**So I'll just live my life **

**In dreams of yesterday **

**(Dreams of yesterday...)**

_Shinji..._

_**No--I have waited too long for this opportunity. You shall not take it from me...!**_

_Shinji!_

The angel was silenced as Rei's soul overwhelmed it, forcing it to recede.

**Those happy hours...**

Recovering its balance, Unit-01 again struck, this time with its right arm. Suddenly the cold light in Rei's eyes vanished, and the AT Field shattered as soon as the Eva made contact with it.

**That we once knew...**

Unit-01's hand flew at Rei, and now without a barrier Shinji was able to reach out and grab the girl out of where she hung in the air. She simply surrendered to the Eva's unyielding grip as Shinji brought her closer to the behemoth's face.

**Though long ago...**

Rei blinked furiously, sweat running down her face and her breathing labored. Shinji looked at Rei's sudden display of weakness with anger burning in his eyes.

_It's just trying to trick me... But I won't let this thing use Rei against me..._

**They still make me blue...**

"...Sh-Shinji..."

The boy was preparing to crush the girl when a soft, gentle voice drifted from her lips. He hesitated, scarcely wanting to believe it was true. But then she lifted her head to reveal frightened, sad eyes. Eyes he knew all too well to forget.

**They say that time...**

"...Rei? Is it--Is it really...you?" The girl didn't respond, the whole of her attention was focused on the slowly bleeding stump that was the only sign the Eva's arm had been there.

_I...Did I do this...?_

_...No..._

**Heals a broken heart...**

"...You're hurt..." Rei whispered in horror. That was all Shinji needed to hear. Almost as if on cue, he smiled.

"Rei! Oh, thank God you're all right! I was-- I was so worried I'd lost you! I was about to...to...Oh God, I'm just glad you're back!"

**But time has stood still **

**Since we've been apart...**

Rei smiled weakly, but it soon faded from her face.

"...This is...my doing... I tried to stop, but... but I..."

"Rei, it doesn't matter-- I have to get you out of here, we can show them that the Angel's gone and you didn't know what you were doing..."

Shinji was cut off in mid-sentence by Rei.

**(I can't stop loving you)**

**I've made up my mind...**

"...The Angel is not gone..." The boy stared at the girl in Unit-01's hand in shock.

"W...what?"

"I..." Rei took a moment to breathe, it seemed like the conversation was literally wearing her out, "I was only able to...suppress the Angel...But I cannot keep it at bay for long..."

**To live in memories **

**Of the lonesome time...**

Shinji stared at her desperately, not able to bear the thought of Rei becoming an Angel again.

"Well, there has to be SOMETHING we can do!" Rei stared at him with an unmistakable sadness in her eyes. At first Shinji wondered why she didn't answer, but the look in her crimson orbs suddenly made her meaning clearer than any words could.

**(I can't stop wanting you...)**

"No..." he whispered as if to make it untrue, but Rei only continued to gaze at him unflinchingly.

**It's useless to say...**

"Shinji... you are the only one who can--"

"NO! YOU CAN'T ASK ME TO DO THIS! YOU CAN'T!" Shinji screamed at her from the Entry Plug, desperately trying to stem the flow of tears in his eyes. Even though Rei could not see his face, her heart ached in unison with his own, hating herself for forcing Shinji to hurt more than he already was.

**So I'll just live my life **

**In dreams of yesterdays...**

"...Please, Rei...I-I can't...I can't..." He hung his head on his shoulders, desperate to look anywhere but at Rei.

"Shinji..." the blue-haired girl implored, "...If you don't, then you will be killed..."

"I DON'T CARE! I'D RATHER DIE THAN LOSE YOU AGAIN!"

**(Those happy hours)**

**Those happy hours...**

Rei gasped, then let a silence fall between them. Shinji looked up through blurry eyes and saw, to his surprise, that Rei's face was wet with her own tears as well.

**(That we once knew)**

**That we once knew...**

"R...Rei..." She continued to gaze at him, her brow furrowed slightly as salty drops continued to stain her pale cheeks.

**(Though long ago)**

**Though long ago **

**(Still make me blue)**

**Still make me blue...**

"Shinji..." she half-whispered, "...Do not say that. I...I believe that your lifeIS precious. That it is worth saving. So I would be glad to die...If you could be safe." She gave him a brave sort of smile, but Shinji could sense the fear hidden behind it. He tried to speak, but the words refused to come out of his mouth.

**(They say that time)**

**They say that time...**

"I...do not...want to lose myself again, Shinji... Death...would be better...than having my body used to harm you."

**(Heals a broken heart)**

**Heals a broken heart **

**(But time stood still)**

**Time has stood still...**

Shinji stared at Rei, afraid that if he looked away, she would be taken over by the Angel again.

_I don't want to do this...I can't... but if she were to go back...I...I don't know what to do..._

**(Since we've been apart)**

**Since we've been apart...**

Rei heard his gentle sobbing through the Eva, wishing that she could take his pain from him more than anything else.

_I don't want to do this to you, Shinji...But...if it means you will live...then that is all that matters._

**(I can't stop loving you)**

**I said I've made up my mind...**

Shinji sat in the cockpit, his right hand hovering ambiguously over the induction lever. He had been so certain before that he would not bring any harm to Rei, but now it had all become muddled. He didn't want to kill her, but if he let her live, then what? What would NERV do to her once they found out she was back to normal?

**To live in memories **

**Of the lonesome time...**

Rei's soft voice snapped him back to reality.

"I...I want to die...while I am still Rei Ayanami. Please...Shinji..." Shinji blinked, his mouth agape. It was the first time Rei had ever asked something of him. Her first and only request.

**(I can't stop wanting you...)**

Shinji knew then that he could not deny her what she desired.

**It's useless to say...**

For nearly five minutes they stood there in silence, Rei held aloft in the fist of the grimacing Unit-01 as Shinji prayed desperately for the resolve he needed, afraid to look at her again.

_...Rei..._

**So I'll just live my life...**

Then came the sudden sound of bone and flesh being crushed in a single tightening of the Eva's hand.

Then nothing but silence remained.

**In dreams of yesterdays **

**(Of yesterdays...)**

* * *

Misato stared in shock as the giant screen on the wall opposite her came back to life in the command center. There were gasps and shouts of disbelief all across the bridge. 

"What's going on?" Misato barked, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"Major...we've regained surveillance, tracking, radar-- everything's coming back!" Misato stared at the tracking system and noticed that only the flashing dot indicating Unit-01 was still on.

"...Does this mean that..." she began with trepidation, but Aoba's voice interrupted her.

"Ma'am...There's no sign of the Angel...It's presumed that it was destroyed by Unit-01." Misato swallowed at the thought, but said nothing regarding Rei. It was too sensitive a topic to bring up now.

"...What about Unit-02 and its pilot?"

"Unit-02's been de-activated--Plug seems to have been forcibly removed. Pilot's life signs confirmed, though. She'll be fine."

"Major," Maya turned to face her commanding officer. "...We've regained contact with Unit-01. The pilot's alive." Misato sighed, glad that Shinji was at least alive. She leaned over to Hyuga's intercom.

"...Patch me through to Unit-01," she said as calmly as she could, and Hyuga instantly made the necessary connection. "...Shinji?"

The only response she got was silence. She wouldn't have thought he was there at all if his vitals weren't being broadcast from the Eva.

"Shinji...you need to come back to the Cage. Your mission's done...do you understand?" Again the boy did not speak. The woman knew he had heard her when she saw the dot for Unit-01 begin to move slowly toward the elevator shaft.

"Unit-01 ascent confirmed," Hyuga said lifelessly, his eyes half-focused on the screen.

"...Good," the Major said quietly. "Send out a rescue squad for Unit-02. And I want the pilot re-admitted to psychological care on base." Maya nodded, then spoke into her headset to make the necessary arrangements. Suddenly Aoba turned to Misato, handing the woman a telephone reciever.

"For you, Major. It's Section 2 security." Misato took the reciever and put it to her ear.

"This is Major Katsuragi..."

"Major," The agent on the other side of the line began, "We've located Commander Ikari and the Fifth Child. Please come to floor 23, Section F, Hallway F-35 immediately."

* * *

"Asuka Langley Sorhyu?" 

Asuka slowly lifted her head to look at the engineering crew that had forced open the emergency hatch of the abandoned Entry Plug, out of which LCL was slowly trickling to mix with the vast lake of the stuff that surrounded her.

"...We need you to come out of there now, please."

The redhead stared blankly at the man in the Bio-suit. She didn't want to leave the Plug. While it was definitely uncomfortable and lonely, at least she wouldn't have to face any of the others inside it. Her body, acting on its own free will, took the hand despite her brain's protestations, and she allowed herself to be helped into the rescue boat.

* * *

Asuka stared blankly ahead the whole time she was lead back into Central Dogma. After the catharsis she had succumbed to, she no longer had feelings to spare on anything else. If she felt anything at this moment, it was numb. As she followed her escort down yet another hallway, she stopped at the sight of a familiar face passing in the hall. She stared at his face for nearly a minute before she threw herself onto him. 

"Kaworu--you're alive!" She'd felt dead a few minutes ago, but the sight of her friend awakened everything within her again. She felt no shame as warm tears fell unheeded onto his shoulder, her smile unseen by the boy, who simply allowed her to hug him. "Oh, thank you...thank you..." she whispered happily.

"Second Child-- Please refrain from contact with the prisoner."

Prisoner? Asuka thought confused as she reluctantly pulled away from Kaworu. It was then that she noticed the handcuffs on Kaworu's wrists, as well as the men in black behind him, followed by Misato. The major came closer to Asuka, giving her a frail smile.

"Asuka-- I'm glad you're safe. I'm sorry, but we have to get going."

"Wait, Misato...wh-what's going on?" Misato glanced back sternly at the silver-haired boy before looking at Asuka with a subdued expression.

"Asuka...I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this... but Kaworu's not the person you think he is." The redhead gave Misato a weak laugh, as if it was just a bad joke, but the Major's somber face didn't budge. "He...he did something to Commander Ikari, and now the Commander's been injured. Kaworu is being held prisoner for treason and conspiracy against NERV." Asuka looked over to Kaworu, who had turned his head at that moment to avoid meeting her eyes.

"Kaworu...this can't be true...right?" The boy only looked away, his eyes bored into the tile floor at their feet in a display of utter guilt. The silence that answered her may as well have been a loud 'yes.' "No..." Asuka whispered as she stood glued to the spot, her mouth hanging open and a pleading look in her eyes.

"...Let's go," one of the agents said gruffly to Kaworu, forcing him to move down the hallway while Asuka stood watching him walk away helplessly.

_It...it can't be..._

Asuka kept her eyes glued in Kaworu's direction as her escort prodded her towards the Psychiatric ward.

* * *

Misato looked up from beneath the orange NERV-issue raingear at Unit-01 as it was sprayed down to wash the sickening smell of LCL off. Or rather, the blood that saturated the Unit's right hand. 

_I can't even begin to imagine what he must be feeling right now,_ Misato thought sadly to herself.

_But...I have to talk to him._

She walked out of the Cage as one of the engineers handed her a clipboard and the assurance that Unit-01 would be repaired within a week at most. The Major glanced half-heartedly at the clipboard before tossing it into the trash.

_What's the point? All the Angels are dead. As far as the world's concerned...we've done our job._

* * *

It took Misato nearly two hours to locate Shinji. After confirming that he was no longer in Headquarters, she searched the rest of the Geo-Front carefully before she realized where he was. She drove to the surface of Tokyo, then headed straight for the 'new Ashino Lake,' formed from the explosion of Unit-00. 

_I'm sure he'll be there..._

She parked the car a quarter-mile from the crater, then approached on foot the rest of the way. Sure enough, there sat Shinji, curled up with his arms around his knees and staring out at the rippling surface of the water. She approached him quietly, finally stopping a few feet behind him. Shinji did not speak or acknowledge her, but he seemed aware that she was there. They stared out at the glassy lake bathed in the light of the full moon, but neither could appreciate the celestial beauty. Misato jumped when, after a few minutes, Shinji broke the silence.

"Rei...she loved me. She never said it once...but...I could see it there, at the end. I loved her too. But...I...I..." The boy buried his head into his knees, struggling to hide his tears from Misato. "...I was the one who had to..." his voice weakly faded off into nothingness.

"No," Misato said with conviction in her voice. "She asked you to do that because she DID love you. She didn't want you to suffer by her own hand, so she asked for a quick death by yours. Rei...wanted you to be safe. It was there in everything she ever did since she met you. You...you're very lucky to have met her, Shinji. I think that, in the end...we were all lucky that she was the last Angel."

"Misato..." Shinji whispered miserably, "...how can you say that...?"

A/N: This is NOT the end.


	39. Malachi

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 39: Malachi

**"Welcome back, Kouzou Fuyutsuki."**

The grey-haired man looked up at the black monolith floating before him, bearing on its facade the words "SEELE" and "01." Despite his awareness of the danger of the situation, he remained calm, the only emotion on his face a slightly bemused expression. He chuckled grimly under his breath.

"I wish I could say the same, _Chairman_... but your strongarm tactics are far from heartwarming. I must admit though..." he unconsciously rubbed his left wrist with his free hand, "...It was quite considerate of you to not tie me down this time."

**"Your attempts at congeniality are not appreciated, Professor."**

**"Indeed. We have requested your presence because there are questions we must have answered."**

**"...For example, why you have not released the Fifth Child to us."**

Fuyutsuki glared at the other representations of the members of SEELE, wondering why they were bothering to go through all this.

"...The Fifth Child is being held by NERV because of his involvement with the recent injury of Commander Ikari. He's been tried and even confessed to the act himself. At the moment he's currently awaiting sentencing--"

**"Enough. There is obviously more to this situation than a missing hand."**

**"Speaking of which...why is Ikari not present? Surely he has recovered by now."**

"...Commander Ikari is currently being treated for shock at NERV," Fuyutsuki said evenly. One of the monoliths allowed itself a cold laugh.

**"Ikari incapacitated?"**

**"My, how the mighty have fallen."**

"In any case..." Fuyutsuki said with a sense of finality, "...This incident occured on NERV grounds, and as such punishment of the Fifth falls to us. You have no authority in this matter. Good day." With that, the acting Commander of NERV turned to leave.

**"FUYUTSUKI!"** At the beckoning of the principal member of SEELE, the older man stopped but did not turn around. **"...If you walk out on us now, the consequences for you and the organization you represent will be great."**

**"This is your last chance. Surrender the Fifth Child to us immediately or face swift punishment."**

In response, Fuyutsuki opened the pitch black room's only door and exited without looking back. It was a few moments before the seventh monolith broke the oppressive silence that had fallen.

**"It would seem as though our opportunity has finally presented itself."**

**"Indeed. We have finally negotiated this period of uncertainty."**

**"While the value of the Scrolls has certainly been called into question, we should surely be able to follow them again to the proper conclusion for humanity."**

**"The conclusion that we and God have laid down for them."**

**"It was quite a risk to entrust this much to the Fifth-- yet it appears that our trust in him was far from misplaced."**

**"Not only has he recovered Adam from Ikari, he ensured that the Third is in the proper mental state for Instrumentality."**

**"All that remains now is for Ikari to make another foolish mistake."**

**"A mistake that will lead to the cleansing of all mankind."**

**"--And will finally return us to the embrace of our Lord."**

**"As it was in the beginning..."**

**"...Is now..."**

**"...And ever shall be."**

* * *

Shinji walked into the small, sterile hospital room in a dreamlike state. He walked up to the girl laying atop a still-made bed, staring at a point on the ceiling with fervent attention. She wasn't comatose-- far from it-- but any casual observer would have though her to be such. 

"...Hi, Asuka."

The girl didn't respond, she simply maintained her emotionless face as she continued to gaze at the ceiling. Shinji immediately dropped all attempts at small talk and contented himself with lowering his eyes to the floor. Nearly a week had passed since the fight with the last Angel. Since he had...

Against his will, an image of Rei's sad crimson orbs filled up his mind's eye. He twitched involuntarily at the memory, then pushed it back to the recesses of his head. He glanced back at the redhead, his hand clenching and unclenching without him realizing it. Before he could stop himself, he threw his arms around Asuka's shoulders. The girl paid him no mind, only continuing to stare straight ahead while she was moved against her will. She seemed almost like a rag doll.

"Please, Asuka..." Shinji whimpered as he buried his face into his friend's shoulder. He would never have made such a blatant display of compassion to a cognizant Asuka, but the pain Shinji was enduring had overwhelmed his reclusiveness at the moment. "I...I don't know what to do anymore..."

The silent girl made no sign she had heard him. Shinji let go of Asuka and looked at her as her blank eyes kept their focus towards heaven. Her vacant, cold facade reminded him suddenly of how another girl had treated him before they had become friends. Another girl who rarely smiled, but when she did...

Unable to face the ghost of Rei that lay in Asuka's features, Shinji turned away, only taking a single glance backwards before shutting the door with a click. He managed to walk a few feet before his legs began to give out beneath him. To keep himself from collapsing altogether, the boy leaned against the plaster wall and slid down to the polished tile floor. He sat curled up in that hallway as self-loathing once again began to creep over him.

_God...I can't believe I did that. Am I really...this weak?_

Shinji buried his face into his knees as he trembled helplessly on the cold floor. He hated himself for what he had done to Rei. He hated himself for turning to Asuka, a girl he hadn't really given a second thought to, as a last resort to evade his lonliness. And he hated himself for being the one Rei had died for. A pathetic excuse of a human being like him.

_It...it should have been me instead..._

* * *

Misato quickly disconnected the tap she had on the Communications Chamber once she was sure that all the members of SEELE had signed off. She was currently sitting in a long-forgotten corner of Headquarters, which despite its lack of personnel had a patch that enabled wireless network connection. She was confident she would not be caught-- especially since no one knew about it. Well, no one except the deceased Ryoji Kaji...and by proxy, herself as well. 

_So... that's why they sent Kaworu. But I thought that Adam was the Angel held in Terminal Dogma?_

She had wanted to inspect the pale monstrosity more closely since the last Angel fight, but with repairs being made throughout NERV, the Sub-Commander had placed greater restrictions on personnel movement-- armed guards stood at just about every other junction. She had wondered at first what the increase in security signified, but now it seemed quite obvious.

_It looks like he's preparing for something...does he think they'll attack us?_

The thought frightened Misato. NERV was established to fight Angels, not other people. Any sort of invasion would result in more than a few deaths, especially if anyone resisted. The Sub-Commander had already taken a major risk when he refused to relinquish Rei's body to the Committee for 'examination.' While she was glad that Fuyutsuki was at least more compassionate than his superior, she knew that Rei's death would be in vain if it resulted in more fatalities. Misato was shaken out of her grim reverie as her laptop began to beep and flash at her.

"Damnit... they noticed me..." She quickly disconnected her uplink, then folded up the portable computer and headed carefully towards the elevator.

_It's probably nothing, but... better safe than sorry._

* * *

In another part of NERV's hospital section, Room 254, Gendo Ikari slowly slid on his signature NERV-issue jacket, wincing slightly as the fabric ran over the still-tender stump where his hand...and Adam... had been. Despite the physician's insistence that he spend at least a month resting from his ordeal, the Commander of NERV knew better. 

_Time is a luxury that I no longer have._

He stood up, looking every bit as intimidating and commanding a presence as he always had, which would be necessary if he was to succeed.

_It's a distant possibility... but if there is any hope that this will work, then I must take it._

The Commander allowed himself a brief smile as a memory of Yui entered his mind. While she was his polar opposite in daily life, she was every bit as fearless a scientist as he was. She was a woman who understood that taking risks was vital to creating change. Perhaps that was what had drawn him to her in the first place...

_...There's no time to think of that now. Soon, I won't need a memory anymore._

As quickly as it had come, the grin faded, replaced by his normal sober expression. He opened the door of his hospital room and exited silently, not deliberately trying to sneak away but being careful not to attract attention to himself nontheless. His footsteps echoed through the deserted hallways as he steadily made his way toward the Detention Area.

A/N: Well, I'm back! Sorry that this chapter's late-- I had to drive back to college yesterday and I was too tired to do anything :( Plus, I spent a lot of time trying to think about just how I'm going to get to the end. Anyway, thanks for continuing to read this fic, and I hope you'll stick with it to the end!


	40. Ecclesiastes

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 40: Ecclesiastes

Maya stared half-heartedly at her console, her thoughts far from the myriad keys laid out before her. Everyone on the bridge was quietly going about their business, which at this point consisted of looking like they were working. The petite woman didn't even notice Hyuga was talking to her until he called her name a second time.

"Huh?" she responded in a daze. Hyuga sighed a little in frustration before he spoke.

"Hey, what's going on? You seem a little out of it."

"Well...I guess I'm just...feeling a little overwhelmed by what's happened. I hadn't really had time to soak it in 'til now, you know?" Hyuga nodded silently, which relieved her slightly. It was true that she was still upset about Rei, but her current thoughts were really focused on her sempai. She'd only heard the slightest whispers about Ritsuko's involvement in something that had happened in Terminal Dogma. It had been bothering her since the first day she was absent from work, but with the current state of things she had only grown more concerned.

_I wonder... what happened to her?_

"Man, I'm sooo bored," Aoba groaned as he leaned back in his chair. "Why are they even bothering to make us come in anymore? It's only a matter of time before the UN rescinds their contract with us." Maya was glad for an excuse to get away from her awkward state of mind.

"Well, I suppose they just want us to be prepared-- there's always the chance that we might have to deal with another Angel." Aoba sighed in defeat, knowing his fellow bridge tech was right.

"Excuse us for not being too eager to get in the unemployment line," Hyuga quipped sarcastically, making Maya double over to stifle a chuckle. Before Aoba could retort, the alert sirens began their scarlet flashing and the all-too-familiar klaxons began to blare.

"What the...?" Aoba muttered in surprise.

The three stared up wide-eyed at the display wall on the far end of the bridge, which was busy reinterating the siren's warning. Technicians and engineers across the room stared at the screen in shock, while others frantically began running to their stations. Fuyutsuki called out to the trio below him urgently.

"What's going on? Lt. Hyuga, status report!" The bespectacled tech instantly recovered from his shock and began typing furiously on his console.

"Sir-- the MAGI are being hacked!"

"By who?" Before Hyuga could answer, Aoba beat him to it.

"Commander, i-it looks like the other MAGI are doing it--ALL of them!" Sure enough, the monitor confirmed his assertion. 11 separate MAGI triplets-- each representing a NERV branch from the United States to China-- were unanimously attempting to break through the security surrounding CASPER, BALTHASAR and MELCHIOR.

_So, the starting gun's been sounded,_ Fuyutsuki mused grimly to himself. All around, other bridge hands were frantically trying to monitor or contain the unexpected cyber-assault.

"3rd firewall breached!"  
"Creating dummy path...It's no good! They've entered CASPER!"  
"It's moving too fast!"  
"CASPER already 73.4 corrupted!"  
"The trapdoors aren't working-- Primary and secondary defenses disabled!"

"Lt. Ibuki!" Fuyutsuki called to the young woman.

"Already on it, sir!" she shouted over the alarms as she continued working furiously.

_Damnit--slow down!_

She would have laughed at the futility of her entreaty to the voiceless computers halfway around the world if she'd had time to register it. She barely had the knowledge to attend to one set of MAGI, let alone nearly a dozen others. No matter what she tried, every trick and technique she'd learned seemed to have been accounted for.

"We've lost CASPER-- it's moving on to MELCHIOR!"  
"Try the manual override!"  
"Negative-- The control panel's not responding!  
"MELCHIOR at 47.89 corruption level and rising!"  
"We can't stop it!"  
"Isn't there some way we can cut it off?"

Suddenly Maya remembered-- there was still one thing she hadn't tried yet. Ritsuko had told her in the very unlikely event that the MAGI would require individual assessment.

_Well, this is definitely one of those 'unlikely events,'_ the short-haired girl thought to herself as she got out of her chair and ran for the emergency ladders that led from the top of the bridge to the lower levels. Before Fuyutsuki could ask her what the hell she was doing, Maya slid down the ladder and stopped at the platform that housed BALTHASAR. She ran past the engineers typing like mad, as if to scare off the hackers which their impeccable speed on the keyboard.

_Where is it, where is it? I just hope I can remember which is the right one..._

Within moments she found a large detachable panel on the side of the gigantic supercomputer, one big enough to pass for a door. She'd nearly missed it due to the seamless way it fit with the rest of the housing.

"MELCHIOR corruption at 96.8!"  
"We'll only be able to hold it off for another minute at best!"

"YOU!" Maya barked at one of the frightened engineers, who jumped at her presence. "Help me get this open--DO IT NOW!"

The young man hesitated upon seeing the frantic, determined look in the normally gentle-natured lieutenant's eye, but he thought it better to follow orders than to question them. He slid his fingers into the indent between the two plates of metal, but it refused to budge. He tugged with all his might until the panel snapped open, nearly throwing him over the ledge as his momentum got the better of him. Maya immediately stuck her head into the mess of wires and smaller machines.

"Come on, come on..." she whispered desperately into the box as chaos continued to reign supreme above her.

"Last firewall breached!"  
"Contact with MELCHIOR lost!"  
"MAGI #8 preparing to connect with BALTHASAR-- fifteen seconds and counting..."

_There it is!_

Maya found a fist-sized box plugged into one of the deeper layers of circuitry, and with a fair amount of straining, managed to pull it out of BALTHASAR. There was a shot of sparks as the electrical connections were suddenly cut, and without any further warning the bridge was plunged into darkness. As if on cue, a hush fell over the crew of Central Dogma, which once again became a rush of unsynchronized voices when the blood-red emergency lights flickered on.

"Quiet!" the Sub-Commander growled from atop the highest platform. "...What happened?" The personnel looked around confusedly at each other, uncertain of what had occured. After a few moments of silence, Maya's voice rang out in the cavernous room as she held up the small box.

"My apologies, sir-- I manually disconnected BALTHASAR from the MAGI." A few of the engineers behind her regarded her with a perplexed expression, but Fuyutsuki only looked at the short-haired woman calmly. With the triumvirate fractured, the MAGI could not function, but it also meant that they could not be hacked any further.

"...What prompted you to this course of action, lieutenant?"

"It seemed the only remaining option, sir." There was another uncomfortable silence as the acting Commander considered the bridgehand's response.

"...You did well. Excellent work, Captain Ibuki." Maya, who had been expecting some form of reprimand, blinked at Fuyutsuki's words.

"'C-Captain,' sir?" The gray-haired ex-professor smiled apprasingly at the just-promoted Maya, pressing upon her the impression that she had not heard wrong.

"...Is BALTHASAR still operational?" he turned to Hyuga with his no-nonsense expression back in place.

"Yes, but only in minimum power mode. We'll still be able to power the base and keep the bridge running normally, at least."

"I see. And what about sonar? Radar?"

"Negative," Aoba responded evenly. "We've lost all visual monitoring outside of NERV. Practically speaking, we're running blind." Fuyutsuki sighed as he rubbed his wrinkled temples. He was hoping that it wouldn't come down to what he thought it would...

"Captain Ibuki-- do you have any estimate of how long it will take to get the MAGI up and running again?" Maya stared at the ground for a moment before she answered.

"Commander... I can fix the connection but CASPER and MELCHIOR will still be corrupted. If we re-connect them now, I don't think we'll be able to hold them back. I'm sorry, but...I don't know the system well enough to combat this kind of a threat."

"...I see," Fuyutsuki sighed again as he picked up the phone that connected him to NERV security.

"...Yes, this is Fuyutsuki. Bring up the prisoner in cell #27."

* * *

Ritsuko sat on the cold steel bench that served as a cot while she stared at the opposite wall, which was only barely visible in the narrow darkness of the cell. She had removed her white lab coat and placed it beside her in a crumpled heap, tossed aside as though it was worthless. Her mind was busy turning over her gradually darker thoughts when they were interrupted by the sliding of the thick steel door. Sillouhetted against the entrance were a pair of men in dark suits and sunglasses, staring at her with perfect stone faces. 

"Dr. Akagi, your presence is required by acting Commander Fuyutsuki. Please come with us." Ritsuko made no verbal protest, but her thoughts were full of bitterness.

_So, they've managed to find another use for me. How convenient for them. Arrogant bastards._

She picked up the coat beside her and silently followed the two men up to Central Dogma.

* * *

In a cell at the far end of the hall, Kaworu lay on his metal bench, quietly staring at the ceiling. He lifted his hand and stared at it calmly. He had been trying to avoid thinking about the events of the previous week, but somehow the crushed look on Asuka's face when he had been led away refused to leave him. He'd spent his whole life--if he could be considered to have 'lived' at all-- quietly following SEELE's orders, never once questioning them. But with the death of Tabris, something inside of himself had died as well. 

_Did I... really do all this?_

It somehow didn't seem real to him. His body now the temple that housed his father, Adam... it was exactly what he'd been created for.

_Why, then, do I feel this... apprehension? These emotions...they were so distant before, but now..._

His thoughts wandered again to the redhead he had shared his home with, the former certainty that had ruled his existence fading with each moment.

_Could it have something to do with...Asuka? With the First or even the Third, as well?_

Suddenly light flooded into his cell, nearly blinding the boy as he instinctively raised his arm to shield his eyes. When they had adjusted he saw the form of a bespectacled man, tall and imposing as he stood in the doorway.

"Commander Ikari," the silver-haired boy said quietly. For a moment Gendo did not speak, he simply regarded the room's occupant with an expression that bordered somewhere between loathing and necessity.

"...The time has come. There are things that you are required for, Fifth Child," Gendo said in his trademark icy tone. His meaning was not lost on Kaworu, who looked past him in the hopes that the guards would arrive. "I'm afraid we're quite alone. The guards are currently escorting Dr. Akagi to Central Dogma-- they won't return for at least 15 minutes." Gendo stood where he was, seemingly unworried that he would be caught as he waited patiently for Kaworu to get up.

"...No."

Gendo blinked in surprise at the boy's refusal, but it was left unseen due to his position in front of the light.

"Do you honestly believe you have a choice in the matter?" Gendo had to admit he felt a measure of pity for Kaworu, in spite of what he had done to him. The distant, false warmth the boy had exhibited before had disappeared, replaced by an all-too obvious appearance of insecurity and genuine sorrow. But like all times, Gendo refused to display any sense of empathy he felt. He could not afford to let his emotions get the better of him.

"I..." Kaworu began, but the bearded man cut him off in midsentence.

"SEELE is coming. If you don't come with me, you'll be forced to implement their desired outcome." At these words, Kaworu visibly shuddered, the whites of his eyes growing slightly wider as he put his head in his hands. Gendo continued to coldly observe the pale boy. "...That's what you fear now, is it not?"

Kaworu stared at Gendo in disbelief. For the last few nights he'd pictured that future in his mind's eye. A red sea bordering dead land, horrible monsters, fossilized in stone and half-buried in the 'water'...

"How...how do you know--"

"Did you think I didn't know what they'd been planning?" Gendo said calmly. "This is what you were created for. You have no other purpose."

Kaworu stared blankly at the echoing of Tabris' words to him so many nights ago. In the pit of his stomach, he knew that it was true. Silently admitting defeat, he stood up and followed Gendo out of the cell, neither speaking a word as they headed toward the elevator that would take them to Terminal Dogma.


	41. Philemon

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 41: Philemon

Once the darkness had been dispelled by the emergency lights, Misato stood up from her place on the ground, vainly attempting to get a few wrinkles out of her skirt in the process.

_What the hell just happened? One minute everything was fine, next thing, all the lights go out._ The violet-haired woman remembered the last time NERV had suffered a power outage, the one Kaji had set up.

_Sabotage, maybe? Or..._

The words of the members of SEELE came back to her instantly.

_...Or..._

She physically shook the thought from her head as she pulled out her cellular phone, dialing the code for the bridge. Sure enough, a disconnect signal rung in her ear.

_Just as I thought, wireless communications are down. And I don't know how close the nearest hardline is..._

She decided to simply focus on getting to the bridge as fast as she could, and set off at a brisk pace straight ahead.

* * *

The former Chief Scientist of Project E lay awkwardly on her back deep inside the maze of tubes and wires that was BALTHASAR, typing into one of nearly a dozen small laptops hooked into various plugs and outlets throughout the construction. Ritsuko paused to sigh and wipe the sweat from her forehead with her right arm, then immediately continued with her work.

"Hmph. You certainly did a number on this thing, Maya." She said with a bit of a smirk to her subordinate sitting just outside the casing of this particular MAGI. The short-haired girl immediately jumped into a lengthy apology, as if she'd been expecting this as soon as Dr. Akagi arrived.

"I'm really sorry, ma'am! I don't even know what I was thinking, I just acted on instinct--" Ritsuko responded with a patronizing chuckle.

"What do_you_ have to apologize for? You probably saved everyone here in exchange for a few extra minutes of work. It's not a crime to follow your intuitions." Maya blushed in spite of herself at hearing praise from her sempai, then directed her attention back to the uplink she had unceremoniously broken. Ritsuko smiled to herself as she put the finishing touches on the new security barrier. She set down the laptop she was using and picked up another with a '#4' taped onto the lower left corner. After a few more minutes the 666 program was complete. She didn't alert Maya to this fact immediately, however. She took out a small disk she'd grabbed from her desk and slid it into the laptop's drive. The screen flashed red in protest at first, but after quickly circumventing BALTHASAR's logic circuits the laptop made no further protestations. The blonde gently caressed the smooth domed plate that housed the supercomputer's CPU.

_Naoko Akagi the scientist,_ she mused as she recalled what the MAGI's creator had told her about the three aspects of herself that made up the triumvirate.

_The cold, logical side. If any part of you understands why I need to do this...Then it'll be this side, Mother._

"Dr. Akagi, I'm ready to reinstall the uplink!" Maya called from outside BALTHASAR. Ritsuko quickly came back to reality.

"Good, I've finished up here. All right, now listen carefully: we need to install both at precisely the same time for this to be effective. Otherwise they'll be able to begin hacking BALTHASAR before the program has a chance to load itself. Understand?" Maya grunted in assent as she positioned the soldering torch above the last electrical connection. "On my mark, I need you to re-connect BALTHASAR to the other MAGI. Ready?"

"Whenever you are, ma'am."

"All right...Three, two, one, mark!" As one, Ritsuko downloaded the program while Maya made the final connection. Within seconds, the red indicating compromised data of the MAGI disappeared onscreen, resulting in an outbreak of cheers and accolades from the bridge crew as the remaining systems sprung back to life.

"Monitoring systems restored!" Aoba called from his console.

"Same for radar! We're back in business!" chimed in Hyuga. Ritsuko crawled out of BALTHASAR and hit the switch that lowered it back into the platform. No one noticed the darkly pensive look on her features as she climbed the ladder back to the main level of Central Dogma.

* * *

**"How were they able to reject 11 sets of MAGI?"** the monolith representing the third member of SEELE spoke into the darkness.

**"It appears they've initiated the Triple-6 defense program. A remote takeover of NERV is now virtually impossible."**

**"I had hoped to resolve this peacefully,"** SEELE 01 said with a tangible hint of annoyance.

**"Launch the invasion forces immediately!"**

* * *

"Commander!" Hyuga said urgently to Fuyutsuki, who turned away from the printout of the damage done to the MAGI to look at the bespectacled young man before him. "There's an urgent call coming in for you from the Tokyo-2 Diet office!" The grey-haired man tensed slightly at the mention of the Japanese parliament, but if he felt any sort of apprehension he hid it quite well. He picked up the phone hooked into the desk that Gendo normally occupied.

"This is acting Commander Fuyutsuki..." Within moments the older man turned pale. After a few minutes he set the reciever back onto the hook and looked up to see the bridge trio staring up at him.

"...Sir? Is something wrong?" Maya innocently asked, concerned for her superior's health. It took Fuyutsuki a moment to put what he had heard into words, as though saying them out loud would make them true.

"...As of five minutes ago, the nation of Japan declared war on NERV."

At this simple utterance, everyone on the bridge stopped what they were doing and turned to gaze at the Sub-Commander. A few people looked like they were on the verge of tears, while others simply stared in confusion and disbelief. Nearly a minute passed before Fuyutsuki spoke again. "I want everyone on Level-One battle stations. Get perimeter defenses up as quickly as possible and get the lower levels locked down-- we can't let them get into Terminal Dogma at any cost!"

The personnel immediately set about preparing themselves for the coming seige, despite the fact that the shock of Fuyutsuki's statement had yet to wear off. Fuyutsuki sighed as the crew set about frantically scrambling from place to place, knowing that it was all futile in the end anyway.


	42. Baruch

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 42: Baruch

Misato blinked in surprise as her phone suddenly began to ring. She took the cell phone out of her pocket and glanced at the caller identification display.

_The bridge. That's good, it looks like communications are back up._ She hit the 'Talk' button and put the device to her ear, never letting up on her brisk pace the whole time.

"Major, are you there?" Hyuga said on the other end of the line, an undeniable hint of urgency in his tone.

"Hyuga, what the hell's going on up there? Why'd the power go out?"

"There's no time to explain that, Major. We need you to get back to Central Dogma as fast as you can. How far away are you?" Misato glanced at her watch before answering.

"...About ten minutes. Why, what's wrong?"

"The government just issued Special Order A-108." Misato furrowed her brow in confusion, unable to remember which 'A' level orders were which.

"What does that mean?"

"As of approximately 1535 hours today, NERV has lost its legal immunity and all authority's been transferred to the parliament. They've denied us the opportunity to surrender peacefully." Misato blinked and was quiet for a moment as she tried to take in what she had just been told.

"...'Surrender?' You mean they're planning to attack us!"

"Affirmative, Major. We've already detected ground troops and aerial support heading toward our location, but it'll be some time before they can get here." The Major narrowed her eyes, not sure if she was ready to face something like this but knowing that there was no way to avoid it.

"All right, get a security detail on Commander Ikari-- he should still be in the Hospital sector. And I want Pilots Ikari and Sorhyu collected and in their Evas. Get them them to a safe place outside the base as soon as you can."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, and get the Fifth Child into a secure location." Hyuga hesitated at Misato's peculiar order.

"...Uh, Major, he's a prisoner. I don't think they'll come for him..."

"He's the _reason_ they're coming, Hyuga," Misato said angrily. "Just make sure it happens! I'll be there as soon as I can!" With that, she clicked the phone off and began to run.

* * *

A pair of men outfitted in NERV's dark-blue security uniforms burst into the hospital room occupied by a blank-eyed redhead. 

"Asuka Langley Sorhyu?"

She made no response other than that her eye shifted slightly in their direction to acknowledge their presence. One of the guards sighed to himself.

_She's not even capable of walking on her own. This is ridiculous._

"Here. You need to put this on," the second man said as he handed her a fresh, shrink-wrapped Plugsuit. For a moment Asuka did nothing, then slowly lifted her arm to accept the bundle. As soon as it touched her hand, she felt a wave of cold desolation inside herself.

_Why...do I have to pilot that thing again...?_

She said nothing as she removed the rubber form-fitting suit from its plastic prison.

* * *

Ritsuko stood glumly behind her protege, who was busy making preparations for the coming seige. With her task done, the scientist was once again ignored. She would have already been sent back to her cell if the situation was not as bad as it was. 

_It won't be long now..._

She took a glance over Maya's shoulder at the monitor on her console. The brunette seemed to be busy looking for something, apparently on orders directly from Misato. She watched inattentively until she noticed a certain video feed from the Detention Area. It looked like Kaworu's cell, but...

Suddenly something clicked inside the blonde's head. Making sure that no one would notice her, she dashed out one of the doorways that would lead to Terminal Dogma.

* * *

Near one of Headquarter's many entrances, two guards circled the wide hallway. Having just been put on alert to prepare for an invasion, most likely by the nation's Self-Defense Force, both men held their rifles in a prepared position, carefully watching for sudden movement as they exchanged positions. Suddenly the taller of the two noticed something moving in the shadows. He paused and approached the dark space between the entrance and the hall. 

"Hey, you see something?" his companion queried. The tall guard stared at the shadows intently, but did not step into them.

"I thought I saw something..."

"Hmph. You're being paranoid." The guard who'd been looking sighed, than turned his back to the entrance.

"Yeah, I guess s--" He stopped in mid-sentence as a hand suddenly reached over his mouth from behind him and a long knife made a wide slash in his throat. The other guard stared in shock as a handful of black-clad soldiers, bearing the insignia of the JSSDF on their shoulders, materialized out of the darkness. The man who'd been cut collapsed on the ground, blood spilling from the injury like a shattered bottle of wine.

"Security to bridge, security to bridge, they've c--" He didn't have time to finish speaking into his headset as the muffled sound of a silenced pistol declared the end of his life as well. The three JSSDF soldiers signaled behind them, and suddenly the reinforced steel gate they had forged entrance through exploded, sending smoke into the hall and setting off the blaring alarms. Out of the billowing black cloud came an endless stream of armed soldiers and the pounding of boots upon steel as the attack on NERV finally began.

* * *

Misato reached the bridge just as the screaming of the klaxons began anew. 

"You're late, Major Katsuragi!" Fuyutsuki growled as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Sorry, Commander-- no excuses," she managed between gasps, then turned to the bridge trio. "Status report!"

"They've broken through our first line of defense," Hyuga said urgently. "Motion sensors detect unauthorized entry at over 8 separate points on the main level!"

_So that's what they were planning,_ Misato thought grimly. _Send in the troops while we're waiting for the assault vehicles._

"Have you taken care of the Evas?"

"Unit-02 and its Pilot were lauched about 7 or 8 minutes before you arrived. It's currently resting at the bottom of the lake in the Geo-Front."

"Unit-02?" Misato furrowed her brow. "...What about Shinji?" Maya lowered her eyes in shame, but spoke nonetheless.

"Major...we weren't able to locate Unit-01's pilot before the attack began." Misato eyes widened as her face turned pale. "I-It's possible he's still alive, ma'am, but we--"

"JUST FIND HIM NOW!" the Major yelled in fury. "THEY'RE GOING TO KILL THESE CHILDREN IF THEY FIND THEM! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT!"

Maya stared at her superior with fear on every inch of her face, to which the violet-haired woman softened slightly. Fortunately, Aoba broke the awkwardness.

"Major-- I've found him!" Misato looked over at the tech's monitor and saw someone curled up below a set of stairs in a dark, unoccupied part of the base.

_That's him all right._

"Where is he?" Aoba squinted at the small number in the corner of the video feed that indicated location.

"...It looks like Level 9, Section R-23. I should tell you-- we couldn't locate the Commander or Kaworu Nagisa, either. They might have already been relocated--" When he heard no response from the Major, he turned around to see her brandishing a large, solid black Desert Eagle. "M-Major Katsuragi...?" Misato paid him no mind as she loaded a full clip into the handle of the powerful gun.

"...I'm going to retrieve the Third Child. As soon as I'm gone, I want you to lock down everything below Level 9-- If they get any farther than that, use Bakelite to slow them as much as you can." She slid the top of the gun back until she heard the telltale click of a bullet loading into place, the let it snap back. Once she was satisfied that it was ready, she slipped the Desert Eagle into the shoulder holster hidden beneath her red jacket. "...How long until they make contact with the bridge?"

"Based on their numbers and the speed by which they're breaking through the lower levels," Hyuga said as he turned to Misato, "...I'd say about 23 minutes and 47 seconds."

Hmm...I'll be cutting it close. I'll be lucky if I can get back before then.

"Oh, and by the way..." she said as she turned to the trio with a wry grin, "I don't want any of you fighting." At once Hyuga, Aoba and Maya opened their mouths to protest, but Misato cut them off. "I'm serious-- if any of you die in the line of combat you'll be posthumously demoted." With that sad attempt at humor a determined look became etched onto Misato's features as she set off toward the nearest stairwell. Fuyutsuki, who'd overheard everything but had not spoken, watched her go stoically.

_Godspeed, Major Katsuragi._

Suddenly, Maya shouted out from her post as she turned to the screen in front of her.

"Commander Fuyutsuki-- the tanks have stopped!" She superimposed the display of overhead troop movement onto the display wall, so that it shared the screen with the display of overtaken areas of the base, which was rapidly spreading. Sure enough, surface vehicles had indeed stopped, about 5 miles from where NERV sat deep underground. Fuyutsuki stared at the monitor. Suddenly the reason for their unusual manuever became clear to him.

"Get onto the ground now." Maya looked at the Commander in concern.

"...Sir, what--"

"THIS IS AN ORDER-- ALL PERSONNEL, TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY!"

* * *

On the surface of Tokyo-3, the leader of the tank batallion surrounding the remnants of the city gazed at the landscape with a pair of binoculars. He set them down as a soldier ran to his side. 

"General, we've just recieved word from the 3rd division-- they're at proper drop elevation and all other vehicles have moved out of range." The General nodded curtly, and the soldier immediately spoke into his walkie-talkie.

"Confirmation recieved-- fire at will!"

Within moments the General looked through his field glasses again, and briefly saw a glint of metal falling rapidly toward the earth.

"Contact in 3...2...1..."

They were cut off as a overwhelming wave of light and sound shattered the silence around them, turning the sky temporarily red as a massive mushroom cloud erupted from where the N2 bomb had made contact.

* * *

The crew in the bridge who had not been quick enough to obey the Sub-Commander's order were knocked forcibly to the ground from the shock of the blast. The electrical monitoring systems shorted out from the energy released. 

"...Is everyone all right!" Fuyutsuki said after the shockwave had subsided. A series of pained groans met his ears, which translated to the older man as a long series of 'yeses.' "How much damage did they manage to do?"

Aoba crawled up to his station and tapped uselessly at the keyboard.

"We've lost visual, but judging by the strength of that N2 blast...I'd say the Geo-Front's been compromised."


	43. Amos

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 43: Amos

Once the dust cleared on the surface, all that remained of Tokyo-3 was a gigantic hole in the ground. By dropping not one, but a half-dozen of the fallout-clean N2 bombs, NERV's protection of 22 reinforced armor plates had failed. With the enemy's main source of defense rendered irrelevant, the JSSDF now had the opening they needed. At once a group of airlifts, carrying an armored tank each, began slowly descending to the surface of the Geo-Front.

* * *

The senior Ikari felt the wave of the blast miles above him, but this far down into Terminal Dogma both he and Kaworu were able to successfully maintain their balance. 

_Things are starting to worsen,_ Gendo thought to himself with a grimace. The silver-haired boy looked up with concern etched onto his face.

_Asuka..._

"Come," Gendo said forcefully to Kaworu, snapping the boy out of his trance. They silently approached the massive steel gate of 'Heaven's Door,' and once they reached the security pad, Gendo took out his access card and slid it through the slot. The device beeped in acceptance as the gate slowly began to groan and screech itself open. Once it had yielded enough to allow entrance, Gendo snapped the plastic card in half and tossed it carelessly into the LCL.

_No matter what happens...I'll never be coming back here again._

He didn't bother to shut the gate behind him as he moved slowly towards Lilith along the narrow path above the amber-colored liquid.

* * *

Shinji stared at his knees as he sat on the ground. Once the sirens had started going off, he'd instictively started looking frantically for a place to hide. He wasn't sure where exactly he was now, but the dinginess of his surroundings indicated that it was one of the less important parts of the base, so he'd probably have some time before anyone showed up. 

_So here I am...running away again._

But then he considered the alternative. But could he really go out there in the Eva again, after the last battle? In his head he could see the faces of all the people he'd known over all this time as a pilot. All the people who he'd defended and who were undoubtedly waiting on him at this moment. But what did it matter...if he couldn't even help the person he loved? Why should he pilot Unit-01 if all it did was bring himself and others pain?

Suddenly the clicking of heels on the set of stairs above his head alerted him that someone was there. He shifted his eyes up just enough to see a quartet of armor-clad soldiers standing in a semicircle around him. One of them put his index and middle finger to a headset on his ear, then spoke into it.

"This is Zeta Squad-- we've located the Third Child." There was a pause as the leader waited for a response. "...Captain?" Little to his knowledge, the individual he was trying to reach, not more than a few floors beneath him, was now immobilized in a thick sea of quick-setting Bakelite. "...There's no response from command." He then glanced down at Shinji, who hadn't moved an inch since their arrival.

"...Well, it doesn't matter," the soldier to the leader's left side said evenly as he pulled out a Beretta outfitted with a silencer from its place on his hip. He then pointed the gun directly at the dark-haired boy who sat curled up like a cornered animal. "...Commencing execution."

"Wait a minute, he's just a kid," the fourth one spoke up, a bit of a quaver in his voice.

"You know the orders-- what we want to do about this is irrelevant," said the soldier brandishing the gun. He pulled the hammer back until it clicked, the sound reverberating through the narrow corridor as though it was a death knell. "Sorry, kid. Nothing personal." Shinji said nothing as he turned his eyes away from the barrel only a few inches from his face.

_I'm going to die._

And this time there was no one to help him. No Misato or Kaji or Asuka or Rei... He felt so tired, so guilty from everything, that he found himself welcoming the bullet.

_Just let it end...And I'll get to see Rei again..._

He flinched as the sound of a gunshot rang out in the hall. After a few moments with his eyes clenched tight, he suddenly realized that he wasn't dead.

_What...?_

He looked up at the astonished looking soldiers, then to his right where they were staring.

Misato was running down the corridor at full speed, firing bullets like candy at the soldiers. They tried to react to the unexpected assault, but by the time she'd gotten to where Shinji was only one remained.

"Who the hell--?" He screamed as he lifted his rifle at the woman's head, but she pushed the weapon to the side and rammed into him with her shoulder, forcing the soldier into the nearby wall. The rifle clattered to the floor as he reached for the hunting knife on his waist. He was paralyzed, however, when he felt the barrel of the Major's gun at his chin and saw the cold fury burning in her eyes. He wasn't even sure that the woman right in front of him was even human; she had killed his comrades too easily to be anything but a demon. Fear overtook him as Misato pressed the weapon deeper into his skin, a mad gleam in her eyes.

"W-wait, please..." he heard himself begging, but Misato merely gave him a vicious grin in return.

"Hey, _nothing personal,_" she said coldly before pulling the trigger and sending a shower of blood onto the wall. Misato stood there over the horribly disfigured body of the dead soldier, taking a succession of deep breaths as the adrenaline began to wear off. Once she was certain that she was calm again, she bent down and rummaged through the dead combatant's belongings until she found another pistol and a few clips of ammunition. After she relieved another of his headset and slid it onto her ear, she turned to her ward.

"...Are you alright, Shinji?" she said gently, but the boy only continued to sit beneath the stairs, as if immobilized. Misato sighed as she stepped towards the sullen boy. "Shinji, we have to get moving. NOW." When the boy still refused to move she glared at him. "IF YOU WANT TO DIE HERE, BE MY GUEST!"

Shinji blinked at the urgency, anger and concern in Misato's voice, then looked up at her. The violet-haired woman grabbed him by the wrist and, with much straining, lifted his arm around her neck while she put the other around his waist.

"Come on," she said as she shifted his weight onto her shoulder and began to walk Shinji back the way she had come.

* * *

"...Hello again, Rei." 

The pale girl blinked at the sound of her name. It had felt like she'd been sleeping for years and that word was all she needed to wake up. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself in the strangest place she could have imagined.

All around her was only blankness. A white void that stretched on to infinity, yet she could feel something solid supporting her body as she 'lay' on it. Rei's eyes shifted around uncomfortably as she looked for the voice's source.

"W...Where am I?"

"Not heaven or hell, but a place...in between." Suddenly she noticed someone standing just beyond her field of vision. The woman in a long white coat and sporting light-brown hair. Yui Ikari. Rei blinked in surprise at seeing Shinji's mother once again standing before her. She tried to stand but found her legs quite uncooperative.

"It's...you..." she said quietly as the youthful woman looked at her with a sad expression.

"...Why have you come here, Rei?"

"I...I chose to be here because..." Before the girl could finish her sentence Yui cut her off.

"You fool." Rei stared at her in confusion.

"W...what?"

"...If you had only abandoned him...If you had refused to love Shinji at all... then he would not be in such pain now." The pale girl stared bewildered at the woman before her as an undeniable sorrow overwhelmed her.

"I...I'm sorry...I just wanted..."

"...What?"

"I...I wanted...a life...with him. I wanted to...be human..." Rei whispered as she hung her head, ashamed of the secret desire of her heart.

"You knew that you could not be together in this world...yet you still reached out to him. You accepted his feelings and returned them in kind. You wanted to take his burden from him because you cared for him, correct?" Yui stared at Rei intensely, but not coldly as the quiet girl began to tremble. When Rei didn't answer, the woman continued, but her voice was more gentle this time.

"...I, too, wanted to help Shinji. That was why I allowed myself to be absorbed into the Evangelion-- because I believed that as long as I could watch over him...protect him... that no harm could befall him. But now forces beyond my control are at work, and I fear that my efforts will have been for nothing..." A look of comprehension dawned on Rei's features.

_...Third Impact?_

"But...but that can't be," Rei said desperately. "...Without me, how could--"

"...There are others that can assist in your place," Yui said simply. She allowed a silence to fall between them before she spoke again. "...Instrumentality was fated to occur. It was written into the very fabric of the universe long before any of us came into being. Even before the Second Impact. Shinji will have to make a choice once Instrumentality begins. And as it stands now, the choice he makes will be SEELE's."

Rei stared at the 'ground,' unable to comprehend the vastness of what she was being told.

_No...because of me...Shinji will..._

Suddenly Yui pulled Rei into another warm embrace.

"...I can no longer help Shinji. The only one who can do that now...is you, Rei." The girl buried her face into the woman's shoulder, surrendering to the maternal love that surrounded her.

"...How...?" Yui pulled away and smiled at Rei gently.

"I can't tell you that, Rei. You have to find your way back on your own."

With that, Yui disappeared, leaving Rei alone with her thoughts. Slowly, she put her hands together and, closing her eyes, focused her thoughts on the Angel buried far beneath NERV.

_Mother...help me..._

_Please..._


	44. Zechariah

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 44: Zechariah

Hyuga peeked his head over the top of his console and quickly stuck it back just as a fresh spray of bullets smashed into the metal paneling protecting him and his two bridge companions. Earlier than anticipated, the JSSDF had arrived at the bridge but had immediately been met with resistance. A few of the crew were already dead, but most of them were still standing, using their workstations as cover and firing the occasional round at their armor-clad attackers while the building shook slightly on occasion from the impact of a tank shell.

"It looks like we've stopped them from advancing, but their numbers aren't going down at all," the bespectacled technician said grimly.

"Damnit," Aoba groaned as he grabbed a case attached to the underside of the table. "They just keep coming--like cockroaches." Maya was crouched down as low as she could get beneath the legspace of her desk, her hands covering her ears to lessen the damage all the noise would do.

"I wonder why they're going through all this," Hyuga said as he turned to the source of all the shooting. "...They could just blow the whole damn place up if they wanted." Aoba was busy unlocking the case, marked with the emblazoned words 'FOR SELF-DEFENSE ONLY. PERSONNEL SHOULD NOT OPERATE UNLESS CLEARED TO CARRY FIREARMS BY A SUPERIOR OFFICER.'

"Hey, if we weren't sitting on the original MAGI system AND the first Evas, they probably would have." With that, he turned to Hyuga and handed him a pistol, which he took silently.

_Sorry, Major...but this is one order we can't follow._

He stood up just long enough to take a few shots into the mass of black, while Maya stared at him with a flabbergasted expression on her face. She was snapped away from the oddness of seeing the reserved Hyuga firing a gun when Aoba presented one to her as well.

"I...I can't shoot this thing!" the girl said with apprehension as she stared at the thing.

"You've fired one in basic-- we all had to!"

"B-but that was different!" Maya yelled back over the gunfire. "I can't shoot at human beings!"

At that moment a soldier appeared beside Maya, running towards them with his rifle at the ready. Before he could fire, Aoba noticed him and shot twice, bringing the trooper crashing to the ground. Maya's eyes widened as she saw the man's blood slowly begin to pool around him.

"Idiot!" Aoba said angrily at his friend. "You think _they're_ going to hesitate? Either you kill or you die!"

Maya's hand tightened around the pistol as she cowered silently beneath the desk.

* * *

"General, we've found Unit-02!" The commanding officer of the siege troops turned to his subordinate upon hearing this news. 

"...Are you sure?"

"Positive sir! It's at the bottom of the Geo-Front lake-- we're flushing it out as we speak!"

* * *

Asuka heard and felt the depth charges exploding just around Unit-02, the closer ones actually jostling her around in the Entry Plug. She tried to keep her head straight, to remember that such weak explosive had no hope of damaging the Eva, but somehow each shock wave seemed to scare her more than the previous. 

_Why am I afraid...?_

This was what she'd wanted, after all. What she had quietly prayed for the entire time she had laid in that hospital bed after she'd realized that the one person she had trusted...who she had...cared about...had been lying to her from the start. His compassion, his kindness, all of it... She wanted to lay down and die, just so the pain in her heart might lessen.

_I was...just used...like...like a doll._

_A worthless paper doll._

_Not even worthy of being alive._

_But if I were to die... then...what will happen to me?_

For the first time in her life, Asuka accepted that she was afraid.

She curled up into a ball, her arms wrapped around her knees as she tried to ignore the blasts around her, quietly whispering into the silence of the Entry Plug.

"...I don't want to die.

I don't want to die

I don't want to die

I don't want to die

I don't want to die..."

_If I die... then that's it. I'll disappear. I'll be gone. Just like mom..._

"Mom..." She prayed helplessly, all the pride that she had once possessed gone in this one moment. "...I don't... I don't want to... Mom... I...I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" Asuka screamed. At first nothing happened. Then she suddenly felt an incredible, peaceful warmth surround her. She couldn't say where it came from, but suddenly she saw someone in her mind's eye. A gentle woman...her red hair perfectly offset by sterling blue irises. Eyes that radiated not madness but lucidity and love.

_It was you,_ Asuka realized with a growing smile. _You were watching me all along...Momma!_

* * *

The VTOLs busy dropping depth charges into the lake only saw a growing red shape rushing up at them from the depths of the water. Before they could attempt to fly a safe distance away, Unit-02 burst through the surface of the lake, smashing any planes that happened to be in its path as it threw itself onto dry land. It succeeded in landing on its feet, crushing a few nearby tanks in the process. Asuka let out a bloodthirsty howl as she backhanded a few of VTOLs foolish enough to come within the Eva's reach, swatting them like oversized flies. 

"...Asuka?" Maya's shocked and concerned voice came over the communicator. "Are you all right?" Asuka allowed herself one of her trademark confident smirks.

"Never better." Without another word, the redhead took off on a run, the leapt with all the might she could muster to the very top of the Geo-Front's dome. She nearly lost her balance as the unsupported piece of land began to crumble beneath her. The tanks and missle trucks still on the surface began to shoot frantically at Unit-02, which only served to annoy Asuka. "DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOU BASTARDS COULD KILL ME?" She screamed as she backflipped to the opposite end of the gap just as the ground collapsed, sending armored vehicles and debris raining down on the Geo-Front.

Suddenly the screen alerted her to a missle lock. Asuka turned around just in time to see a line of missle batteries scattered among the far-off ruins of Tokyo-3. She waited until she saw the flares of the missles being launched into the air before running full speed at the decimated cityscape. A few of the rockets hit the ground around her or came dangerously close to making contact, but she either dodged or leapt into the air to throw them off.

"I CAN'T BE KILLED BY ANYONE! NOT WHILE MOMMA'S PROTECTING ME!" Once Asuka reached the offending vehicles, she waited for just long enough for the missles to catch up with her, then jumped away too fast for the rockets to compensate for Unit-02's remarkable speed. The street lit up with fire and shrapnel as the intimidating form of the blood-red Eva towered over the wreckage triumphantly.

**

* * *

**

**"That loathsome Evangelion,"** SEELE-09 growled to his companions darkly.

**"An entire batallion decimated within a matter of minutes."**

**"The time has finally come to use our trump card."**

**"Indeed. Send out Units-05 through 13 at once!"**

* * *

"Section 27, Floor 9 secure! Moving on to Sections 28 and 29..." 

"Repeat, we've been immobilized on Floor 13! Bakelite levels rising steadily-- we can't hold it off..."

"We've established a perimeter around Area G-- proceeding to sweep the area..."

"Meeting increased resistance in the Command Center; looking for alternate flanking routes..."

Misato listened carefully to the enemy's radio chatter through the filched headset. Based on what she heard, she lead Shinji one direction and then another to avoid detection. The only drawback was that they were having to take a roundabout path to their destination, which was taking precious time. After what felt like an eternity of walking, Misato finally came to a stop outsid a steel door.

"All right, beyond this room's an elevator. That's where we need to g--" She stopped as a fresh wave of talking flooded the earpiece.

"We've got all the elevators on levels 09 through 06 secured-- guards are standing by. Kill anyone who approaches on sight." The Major turned slightly pale upon hearing this. This elevator led straight to the Cage...If they couldn't use that then they'd have to take the long way up and find a free one before the JSSDF cut them off.

_I don't have time for this,_ she grimaced to herself as her thoughts fell onto the Commander. _He's probably already at Terminal Dogma by now..._

She pulled Shinji along a little ways farther to a set of stairs.

"Well, it's a long climb," she said with an out-of-place grin, "...but it's the only chance we've got." She took Shinji by the wrist as they began to ascend the staircase. They were nearly halfway to Level 05 when an armed soldier suddenly appeared out of the door to Level 07. The soldier and Misato stared at each other for about half a second before both fired. The Major was just a bit faster, which ended up saving her life. The now-dead warrior's body weight and inertia threw him over the guardrail, creating a loud smash as it hit the stairs. Misato didn't have time to breathe before voices began to drift up from the hallways below her.

"What was that?"

"I heard a shot-- no wait, two!"

"It came from the stairwell..."

Misato turned to Shinji, who was a few feet behind her, a shell-shocked expression on his face.

"RUN!" she yelled as she pulled his arm so hard that she nearly yanked it out of its socket.

* * *

"Asuka, can you hear me?" 

"Loud and clear, _Captain_ Ibuki," the redhead sarcastically addressed the woman on the other end of the communicator. In fact, Maya's voice was just barely audible over the sound of gunfire and some isolated explosions. "Hey, are you guys gonna be alright down there?"

"We'll manage. Listen, radar's picked op a group of objects heading toward your location-- they're moving pretty fast." Asuka furrowed her brow slightly. She didn't want to deal with the military any more than she had to.

"What is it-- more air support?"

"Well, I'm not sure...It's definitely something strange, but I can't tell without a concrete visual."

"Where are they coming from?"

"They should be there in about 15 seconds, heading due south." Asuka studied the sky where Maya had instructed until she saw something in the distance.

"...It looks kind of like a flock of birds. Wait..." Upon closer inspection, Unit-02's pilot realized that whatever they were, 'birds' was certainly not it. In fact they looked almost humanoid. Perfectly white with huge albatross wings on their backs... Maya gasped on the other end of the line.

"Th-those are... that's the Mass-Produced model!" Asuka looked up at the bleached monstrosities, now circling above her head like vultures.

"The Eva series...It's been completed?"

"Asuka, don't worry; Misato's getting Shinji. We'll send him out as soon as he gets to the Cage. Just hold them off as long as you c--"

"...No." Maya blinked at Asuka's blatant rejection of assistance, then turned angry.

"Asuka, this isn't a game! Those things will kill you! Just swallow your pride and wait for Unit-01 to--"

"My _pride_..." Asuka said dangerously into the speaker, "...has nothing to do with this. Keep Shinji and Unit-01 as far away from here as you can. Any weapons you could get me are more than welcome, though." Maya was silent as she stared at the small feed showing the nine Evas slowly making their way down.

"...All right, Asuka. I'll have all available lifts bring you what we can."

"Understood," the redhead said before cutting off the connection.

_Shinji..._

_I know that you can never forgive me for what I did..._

_I was wrong._

_So... Just this once...let me protect you._


	45. Thessalonians I

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 45: Thessalonians I

Gendo stood beside Kaworu, staring pensively up at Lilith still bound to her scarlet crucifix. The mother of all the living only lay helplessly, its face still concealed by the plate inscribed with SEELE's seven-eyed pyramid.

"It's time," the Commander said quietly, his voice echoing effortlessly throughout the Chamber of Gauf. Kaworu solemnly nodded and placed his palms on the senior Ikari's head. A whirl of images and faces flashed through his own mind before he let the Commander go.

"I see..." the silver-haired boy whispered.

_So this is Gendo Ikari's chosen future..._

With the necessary imagery in his mind, Kaworu turned to Lilith. He closed his eyes and was preparing to spread his AT Field to merge with the traitorous Angel when a calm, feminine voice shattered the silence.

* * *

The nine Mass-Produced Evas finally touched down, folding their wings into their backs with ease. Asuka had to admit they were a little disturbing in their appearance. They seemed much more organic than the previous Evangelions, and to make things worse they had faces; eyeless faces with wide mouths that grinned ferally at her, like a pack of jackals ready to pounce on their prey.

"So..." Asuka said with a smile, "...I've got to kill you ugly bastards, huh?"

As she expected, they did not respond, they only shifted slightly as they circled around her.

_All right then. Ladies first._

The nine had no time to react to Asuka's pre-emptive strike. She ran at one of the monsters and, putting Unit-02's hands on the beast's shoulders, vaulted over it. Before she touched the ground, she grabbed the MP Eva's head and twisted it while in midair, ripping it off once Unit-02's feet landed. The MP's body flailed slightly as it came crashing to the ground, a fountain of blood spattering Unit-02 as it fell. Asuka gave the other beasts a bloodthirsty grin as vicious as their own.

"That's one!"

* * *

"...Hello, Gendo."

Ikari instinctively pulled the pistol out of his left pocket and aimed at the voices source. There stood Ritsuko, smiling viciously with a mad gleam in her eye. She didn't flinch at the sight of the weapon being aimed at her, in fact she almost seemed to think it amusing.

"Sorry, my dear," Ritsuko said as she pulled a remote out of the pocket of her lab coat, "...but I'm afraid that I can't let you do this." Gendo said nothing, he only kept the weapon trained onto his former lover. The pistol shook slightly in his weaker left hand, but not from nerves. "I had to change the MAGI's programming. I hope you don't mind." She flicked a switch on the remote and it began to beep steadily.

* * *

"Asuka!" Maya's voice came in over the communicator. "We're sending up the armament elevators-- arriving at access points 327 and 265!"

_Only two? Damnit... Well, I guess I'll just have to make the most of it._

A pair of MPs approached Unit-02 while the rest scattered, seemingly to avoid being bunched too closely together. Asuka pulled out her Prog knife just as they brandished their own weapons: a massive, two-ended sword/axe. The first one swung too slowly due to the blades' weight and ended up missing Unit-02, who jumped out of the way in time to catch the other Eva in backswing. She grabbed the second Eva's arm, keeping it steady as she sliced it clean off, making the beast howl in pain. Unit-02 kicked it to the ground forcefully, focusing its attention on the MP that now had its blade jammed into the ground.

Asuka let out a scream as she jammed the Prog knife into the Eva's skull, shooting blood from the injury and actually snapping the vibrating blade in half before it fell to the earth. Without bothering to pause, she ran towards one of the elevators, which stuck out of the ground only a short ways away. The redhead grinned when she saw the Eva-sized automatic shotgun attached to the inside of the elevator. She pulled it out just as the MP missing an arm rushed her, awkwardly swinging the massive blade with its free arm. It didn't take much for Unit-02 to avoid the blow with a quick feint, giving it an opening to unload a massive shell into the monster's back. It moaned and attempted a retaliatory swing, only to have its other arm shot off by the close-range weapon.

"JUST DIE ALREADY!" Asuka bellowed as she rammed the MP into the elevator, the gun positioned directly where its core would be. She fired the weapon repeatedly until the shotgun clicked in protest, its rounds depleted. The monster slumped onto the elevator, its mouth hanging open in defeat.

Damnit... Asuka thought as she tossed the now useless weapon to the side, grabbing instead the blade left behind by the MP.

* * *

"...Do you really intend to destroy this base?" Gendo said calmly, speaking up at last.

"I've made enough sins in this life to condemn myself for eternity," Ritsuko shot back, "If killing everyone here to keep you from killing everyone else is what I have to do then so be it." Ritsuko closed her eyes blissfully and raised her face heavenward. "A daughter's final request. Mother...let's end it together." With that she clicked the button.

But nothing happened.

* * *

Unit-02's pilot groaned from the weight of the MP's weapon, but succeeded in lifting it with both hands. She ran, a manic scream on her lips, at another MP, her slow swing caught by the other Eva's blade. With a fair amount of effort, she pulled the weapon back just in time to stop her opponent's counterattack.

"DAMN YOU!" she growled as she strained agained the force of the blow, barely succeeding in forcing it back.

* * *

Ritsuko blinked in shock as Gendo raised his gun higher.

_It...It didn't work?_

She put the remote to her face only to see, where the small screen displayed the three MAGI, one of them flashed red.

_CASPER...betrayed me?_

"Mother..." she uttered in shock and anger, "...how could you choose your LOVER...over ME?" At that moment a bang sounded within the Chamber of Gauf and Ritsuko felt the bullet pierce her chest, throwing her backwards. She slid a bit across the cool steel floor once she made contact. In spite of the fact that the ground was a bright scarlet, she could see the blood slowly leaving her body to pool around herself. She slowly touched the spot where the bullet had gone through, a dark sort of comprehension running through her mind. The clicking of Gendo's boots came steadily closer. He was preparing to finish the job. On instict Ritsuko slowly slid her hand into the other coat pocket.

* * *

Asuka continued to duel with the Eva, exchanging blows but not attaining any openings in her foe's defense. A thought suddenly occured to the pilot and instead of blocking the MP's attack, she sidestepped and ducked, the heavy blade swinging harmlessly overhead. The MP lost its balance, giving Asuka the time to bring her own blade to the monster's neck, sending its head flying with a single clean blow. Recovering her equilibrium, Unit-02 ran with the massive weapon to the last elevator.

* * *

Gendo kept walking until he stood over the dying scientist, careful not to step inside the growing puddle of her spilt blood. He lifted the gun from its place at his side and aimed it directly at the woman's skull. She didn't move, but her eyes slowly drifted over to the bespectacled man.

"Dr. Akagi..." he began softly, almost gently. "...The truth is..."

He never had the chance to finish as the doctor pulled out the handgun concealed in her coat and fired. The bullet ran straight through the Commander's head, leaving him with only a look of utter shock on his face as his body drifted backward and splashed into the lake of LCL. Ritsuko breathed heavily as she felt her hand becoming numb, the pistol falling with a clatter to the floor beside her. She smiled weakly as she forced herself to look at Gendo's floating body.

"...Liar..."

With that she closed her eyes contently and drifted into death.


	46. Thessalonians II

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same As Chapter 1.

Chapter 46: Thessalonians II

Shinji covered his head as bullets ricocheted around him, Misato practically pulling him up the contorting staircase as the JSSDF nipped at their heels. Without warning, the Major pulled him onto the balcony for Level 05. She unceremoniously bashed the door in, knocking out a guard that happened to be on the other side.

"Keep going!" Misato yelled at the pilot as she leaned down and quickly removed a grenade hanging at the unconcious soldier's waist. When she looked up, the boy was still standing there, as if in a daze. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? COME ON!" she screamed as the sound of boots pounding on metal stairs grew steadily closer. Shinji immediately snapped out of his trance, but waited for his guardian to pull the pin and toss it towards the door before continuing. Misato pushed him down the hall and around the first corner just as the corridor shook and the flash of the explosion lit up the area.

"I...I think they're gone..." Misato huffed as she peeked her head around, though the smoke still hung heavy in the air down the hall. "...Are you all right?" she asked gently. She took his heavy breathing as a positive response, then looked up, her eyes widening at what she saw.

_The elevator...!_

Without thinking, she pulled Shinji off the ground and pushed him in the elevator's direction, unaware of the soldier hiding a few feet away from their destination in a protected corner. As she ran, Misato caught something out of the corner of her eye-- a sudden movement...

"Shinji, get DOWN!"

The boy assented not a moment too soon, dropping to the floor as a hail of bullets rushed harmlessly over his head. Misato took a few potshots at the gunman's barricade, succeeding in distracting him from his true prey. Moving on pure adrenaline, Shinji ran over to the elevator and jammed the 'call' button with his finger, but the doors remained shut.

He glanced over at Misato with wide eyes, the woman only just barely avoiding death by shuffling around the containers where the soldier couldn't fire. He pounded desperately on the doors for what seemed like an eternity until, with a chime, they slid open. Both his guardian and the would-be assassin blinked for just a moment before the warrior aimed his rifle at his target. Shinji simply stared, transfixed, at the shaft of the gun as its owner pulled the trigger, but out of nowhere a blur of red and black, which groaned at the sound of a bullet hitting something other than steel. Before they could take any more fire, the heavy doors quietly slid shut.

* * *

Misato turned away from Shinji and pressed the button for the Cage with her left hand, beginning the long journey downward. She then fell back against the doors, wiping away the perspiration dotted on her forehead while smiling weakly. 

"...Well...that was...close, huh?"

Shinji didn't say anything as his eyes drifted down to his shirt, nearly popping out of his head once he realized what its immaculate white surface was covered in.

_Blood..._

He turned his shocked gaze upon Misato, who shifted slightly, but not enough to keep him from seeing her right arm hanging limply at her side.

"...It's fine. Just a little scratch..." she assured him, grateful that the color of her jacket hid the blood running down it. Shinji opened his mouth slightly but then shut it, opting not to speak. "Shinji..." He blinked at the sound of his own name.

"Shinji... I'm sorry...but you have to go out again. You have to pilot the Eva one more time. We need you right now." She stared down at the boy, pity evident on her features. For the first time in he didn't know how long, Shinji opened his mouth.

"...I...I can't...I can't pilot if...all I do is hurt people. I thought...or, I used to think that...that if I piloted the Eva, that I could do something to help people. That I...I could make myself seem worthwhile. But no matter what I want to do...it just always goes wrong." He took a steadying breath before he continued, Misato calmly listening to his words. "I...I hurt Toji's sister. The first thing I did. I KILLED Toji. I couldn't be a friend to Asuka. I...I killed...the only person who I ever--" he gasped as a powerful ache crushed his heart again, making it pound inside his chest as if it would explode. "I...I don't want to hurt another person. So I'd...I'd rather just do nothing...I'd rather just die here. You should have left me where I was... Then at least I wouldn't have to face that...that THING again..."

Misato's brow furrowed slightly as she considered what to say to the distraught boy.

"Shinji...you can't blame keep blaming yourself for that...You just have to stand strong and get by--"

"Why should I listen to YOU?" he whimpered through barely-restrained sobs. "You aren't me-- you don't have any idea how I feel...You don't know what I have to go through!"

"SO FUCKING WHAT IF I'M NOT YOU!" Misato now had her right hand on Shinji's collar, slamming him back into the wall of the cubicle. His eyes widened at Misato's sudden display of anger, as if afraid she would hit him. But when she spoke, her voice was every bit as choked up as his had been.

"...Do you _really_ think that you're the only person who's ever felt that way?" Her grip tightened on his shirt, making her frustration evident. "You think _you're_ the only one who's in pain? I know I've felt EXACTLY the same...for so long I didn't think that there was anything left to do but feel sorry for myself. But I knew that...if I just gave up, then that would be it. That I wouldn't be able to keep growing-- to keep changing. And If I could keep changing, then...then maybe someday I could become _better_ than I was before. She...wanted you to have that opportunity." Hot, wet tears were now streaming down Misato's face, falling onto Shinji's shirt and mingling with the coagulating bloodstains. "...Can't...you see that? How can you...just ignore that?"

Shinji stared at the floor with his mouth hanging open slightly, all words and self-pity gone from his mind, though his face was still wet slightly.

"I..." he began slowly, but before he could say another word Misato threw her arms around him. He was too surprised to struggle, but the taller woman gripped him tighter, burying her chin into his shoulder.

_I wish I didn't have to let you do this, Shinji..._

_I wish I could just keep you here..to protect you..._

_...But I can't._

Gradually the lift began to slow as they neared the Cage.

"Shinji...you have to find your own answer. Find out for yourself why Rei did what she did."

Misato slowly pulled away from the stunned boy, still keeping a hand on his cheek while she gazed at him with an almost maternal warmth.

"...Take care, Shinji. I'll be expecting dinner when you get back," she said with a wry smile. Shinji opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly the door opened behind him and Misato let go, making the boy stumble backwards while his guardian kept her sad eyes trained on him.

"Misato..."

But the doors had already shut, taking yet another woman out of his life.

* * *

Misato fell back against the wall, groaning as she pressed against the wound to stifle the bleeding. Fortunately the bullet had gone through, and it had at least slowed enough for her to make a temporary bandage for it. She tore a strip of cloth from the lower hem of her black top and tied it tight around the wound. She sat on the floor of the lift as she felt it go deeper into NERV. 

_I've lost a lot of blood,_ she thought grimly to herself._ I probably won't make it back._

She quietly shook the thought away as she slipped the immobile right arm out of the sleeve of her red jacket, hanging it under the covering so as not to jostle around. She then awkwardly reached her hand around to the pistol she'd 'borrowed' from the dead soldier and checked it, clicking off the safety.

"Damn...and I liked that gun, too," she chuckled to herself as she thought about her Desert Eagle laying somewhere outside the elevator miles above her on Level 05. It seemed like an eternity before the elevator finally stopped. It had come as low as it could go, after all. With a groan, Misato got up, using the wall as a support for her back. The door opened up into the depths of Terminal Dogma as she slowly stepped out.

_I'm going to put a stop to this. Any way I can._

A/N: Sorry this one's so late--My damn computer was acting up >:( Onlya fewchapters to go...


	47. Luke

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same As Chapter 1.

Chapter 47: Luke

Shinji stared at Unit-01 helplessly. He knew now that he had to go. However, the only thing now standing between him and his Evangelion was a mountain of rock-solid Bakelite, the result of overflow from the upper floors. He didn't know if the beast could hear him, or if he was even sure of what he was doing. Nontheless, he clenched the fists laying at his sides while screwing up his face in concentration.

_...Please...I have to go...I have to fight...I have to save these people...I don't want anyone else to die...please..._

Without warning, the Cage shook as Unit-01 began to struggle against its crimson prison of its own accord. With minimal effort, the armor-clad demon shattered the solid plastic barrier, then slammed a hand into the wall just above where Shinji stood. He looked at the Eva as if finally recognizing someone from days long gone.

"...Mother..."

* * *

Asuka managed to avoid the blows of two more MPs, though her movement was greatly hindered by the heavy blade in her hands. Thinking quickly, she swung the blade horizontally, catching one of them in the side and knocking the Eva down with a crash, then thrust the long end of the weapon into its chest. The beast moaned in pain as the massive blade splintered its core, impaling it to the ground. Unit-02 succeeded in avoiding the swinging of the downed MP's compatriot, then smashed the red Eva's palm into the beast's face, causing blood to fly from the force of the impact. With her path clear, Asuka ran for the only remaining armament lift, and was grateful to see a spare Prog knife and long-handled axe planted on the retractable shelf. She grabbed both just before the sound of pounding feet behind her alerted her to another attack. 

"Give me a break already!" She swung the axe around at her unprepared foe, barely missing but managing to shift its position enough to catch the retaliatory swing with the pole section of her weapon.

* * *

Kaworu gazed forlornly at the pair of bodies that lay only a short way from him. He wondered to himself why these two could be so cruel to each other. What had made them so desolate as to throw their lives away? 

_...Because...that is what they desired. Not just them,_ he thought with dawning comprehension, _but all mankind. To be relieved of their suffering by the potion of death._

The boy clenched and unclenched his hand, breathing out a sigh as he realized that SEELE had been right all along. He quietly approached Lilith. Before he could touch its amorphous pale surface, a voice shot out from behind him.

"KAWORU!"

He turned his head to see Major Katsuragi, standing on the opposite shore of the pool of LCL, a gun cocked in her left hand. Her face expressed the deepest possible degree of fury and pain and sorrow and desperation rolled into one.

"...Step away from that thing. Now."

* * *

Unit-02's axe, while just as long as the MP's weapons, was much lighter, making it a far better melee weapon for Asuka. Using the butt of the pole, she knocked the MP she was fighting back, then followed up with a blow that split the skull in two. A fountain of blood sprang up, soaking Unit-02 but not hindering its pilot as she ran at an MP in the distance. 

Suddenly her monitor alerted her to the sound of an incoming projectile. She quickly turned and raised her AT Field, catching the object in midair. It's contact with the distorted barrier of space and time was making hexagons of light radiate from the point where the long gray object had made contact. Asuka couldn't remember seeing anything like it in her life, but the moment she saw its peculiar shape, a military fork twisted and contorted like a strand of DNA, she instantly realized what it was.

"...The Lance of...Longinus?"

* * *

Kaworu only stayed where he was, staring at her with an indeterminable expression. He heard the hammer click on the Major's gun as she aimed at where his head was, though she seemed to have trouble holding it in her weaker hand. 

"I'm serious! If you don't move away from the Angel, I WILL kill you!" Misato's steely determination faltered when she heard the silver-haired boy speak.

"...Why?" She blinked, uncertain of what he meant.

"What?"

"Why...does this hurt so?" He paused for a moment, then continued, never taking his eyes off the violet-haired woman. "Ever since the last battle...I've felt as though...as though something inside me was broken." The woman stared at Kaworu, the cold fury in her eyes growing softer with each passing moment.

"I..." he whispered quietly, but the sound reflected easily off the walls of the cavernous room. "...I do not wish to do this. But...I don't know...what else to do... Perhaps...it would be better if you killed me..."

* * *

Even though it had stopped, the facsimile of the Lance pressed deeper into Unit-02's AT Field, threatening to tear it apart. Asuka dropped her axe and used both hands to maintain the integrity of her barrier, but the Lance refused to stop moving. She groaned from the force pressing against her, gritting her teeth as she pushed as hard as she could. 

"Damnit..."

Suddenly she could feel the wall of air giving out, shattering like glass in her hands. Without even thinking, her body given greater agility from death staring her in the face, she moved slightly to the side as the AT Field collapsed. It wasn't much, but the barely noticeable shift to the left made the double-point of the slender weapon miss her head, where it would have landed if the barrier had fallen just a moment before. She surprised herself further by actually grabbing the long end of the Lance out of midair as it began to fly past, screaming in pain and from adrenaline as the spear stopped in her clenched hands. The MP that threw the Lance had no time to react as Asuka activated her spare Prog knife and in a rage threw it, sending it flying end over end until it came to a stop right in the beast's chest, shattering its core with a single blow.

"YOU THINK YOU BASTARDS CAN KILL ME LIKE THAT!" She roared as she ran at the the ninth and final MP.

* * *

It only took Misato a moment looking at the boy's genuinely sorrowful face to drop her gun to the floor with a clatter. Suddenly, in that moment, she understood. He wasn't a monster. He wasn't a soulless creation of SEELE, meant to do nothing but their own will. In that face, she saw Shinji and Rei at the same time-- desperate, lost, alone and helpless against the hand of fate.

* * *

Unit-01 burst out of the lift once it reached the surface of the decimated city. Shinji blinked in surprise at what he saw: the scattered, disfigured corpses of bleach-white monsters that looked a little like Evas, and whole sections of the grassy fields below him drenched in blood. Before he could even begin to sort out what must be going on, he heard a familiar scream over the intercom. 

_Asuka!_

He turned and sure enough, she was running at another of the atrocities, both it and Unit-02 wielding what looked like steel versions of the Lance of Longinus. He didn't dwell too much on it, he only began running to the faraway pair.

"Asuka, hold on!"

* * *

"...No," she said quietly. Kaworu looked up at her, uncertain he had heard her correctly. 

"Major...This is what I was created for. To become one with Lilith and to bring about the Rapture of man. Without this...I have no other purpose." Misato shook her head gently.

"You're wrong." He blinked at her, uncertain of what to say. "People aren't _given_ purposes. You have to find your _own_ reason for being. No one can make that decision for you." Slowly, Misato extended her hand, even though they were separated by the viscous red liquid. "...You don't have to do this, Kaworu. You can still make your _own_ choice. Come with me. You can leave this place. There doesn't _have_ to be a Third Impact."

The boy locked his scarlet eyes onto Misato's hand, outstretched in friendship and goodwill.

"...I...can choose...?" he said, barely able to believe that such a thing was even possible. No one had ever presented such a possibility to him. It seemed too good to be true. But Misato nodded, a small smile on her face.

"Yes. ...We can help you, Kaworu."

He hesitantly took a step away from the crucified Angel towards Misato.

* * *

Asuka didn't hear Shinji's voice or see Unit-01. Her thoughts were focused entirely on the MP straight ahead. 

"THIS IS THE LAST ONE!" she bellowed triumphantly as she thrust her Lance straight at the monster's head. The MP saw her coming and dodged, using Unit-02's speed and strength against it, making it go straight past. The Eva let out a horrible roar as it swung its own Lance at Unit-02's back, but Asuka quickly recovered, ducking at the waist to avoid the blow. She flipped her spear's twin prongs around and thrust backwards to pierce the MP through its chest from behind, but it jumped back just enough to avoid the lethal attack.

* * *

The eyes of Unit-01's pilot widened as he saw Asuka struggling with the MP. He pulled out his vibrating blade from the Eva's shoulder guard and pushed harder against the induction levers, trying to make Unit-01 move faster.

* * *

Unit-02 twisted its strong hand around so as to get a better grip on the spear, then made a wide horizontal spin with the weapon, stopping on contact with the MP's lance. The two giants locked weapons, pushing against each other in an attempt to force their opponent back. Asuka's blue eyes burned cold and hard as she put in just enough strength to give herself leverage, then ran Unit-02's hand straight through the MP's fleshy abdomen. She was breathing hard, but victoriously as she twisted her arm, making more blood squirt from around the obstruction the monster's body. 

"Heh...did you think...that you_ever_ had a chance!" she said with a twisted grin at the MP as it howled from its injury. "Did you think that I'd be _weak_? I don't HAVE any weaknesses!" She pulled her arm out of the MP, letting it fall to the ground as she gripped the Lance with its point at the ground. She raised it over the copycat Eva's still-alive form, then prepared to deliver the final blow when something happened. Suddenly, in place of the MP she saw the form--the gentle face of a boy with silver hair and kind red eyes.

_Kaworu..._

She hesitated for only a moment, but that was all it took for the MP to drive its Lance through Unit-02's chest and into its core. Shinji stared in shock, his Eva rooted helplessly to the spot where it stood as Unit-02 hesitated for just a moment before collapsing helplessly to the ground, the Lance still going straight through its body.

* * *

"...Asuka?" Shinji whispered as he turned on the video feed to the red Eva, and at first got only static. "Asuka! ASUKA, SPEAK TO ME!" Finally the static transformed into a view of the interior of Unit-02's decimated Entry Plug, and the blank, wide, dead eyes of its occupant. 

_No... She can't be...she can't be..._

But as his eyes continued to take in the lifeless body of his fellow pilot, of the only friend he had left, images began to flash through his mind.

_Asuka..._

_Toji..._

_Kaji..._

_Rei...!_

Without any warning, he let out a horrible scream, a lament that all present at NERV heard.

* * *

Kaworu shuddered suddenly and gripped at his chest. He'd just felt it. 

_Asuka...!_

He stopped where he was as Misato blinked and looked hard at him.

"...Kaworu? Kaworu, what's wrong?" She barely heard his response as he stared at the ground on his hands and knees.

"...she's dead..."

"What?" Misato half-yelled, uncertain of what he had said. Slowly Kaworu stood up, but now his eyes were as lifeless as before. He turned away from Misato and gazed at Lilith.

"...It's too late..." the boy muttered as he avoided looking at the Major, whose eyes widened once she saw him begin to walk back to the Angel.

"Kaworu, what are you doing!"

"...There's nothing left here for me, Major. All that remains...is this." With that, the silver-haired boy slowly began to rise into the air, pulled up by the sleeping Angel's power.

"No, Kaworu! Don't do this! KAWORU!"

But Misato's plea fell on deaf ears. She swallowed as she bent down to pick up the pistol, then took aim and fired. To her shock, Kaworu didn't even flinch from the blast. He only gazed at where the 'face' of Lilith would have been if it wasn't concealed by its metal plate.

_Lilith...take Adam unto yourself once more. End man's pointless cycle of suffering and lonliness. _

_And please...take me to Asuka's side._

He shut his eyes as he saw part of Lilith's flesh begin to move and prepared to be absorbed into her. But instead he felt a pair of strong hands at his throat. He opened his eyes in shock at the two slender, anthropomorphic arms that had formed out of Lilith's body and were now strangling the life out of him.

"Wh...what...?" He managed, barely able to breathe. Misato had dropped her pistol again and her mouth was hanging open speechless.

_**Did you believe...that I would grant YOUR wish, traitor?**_

Kaworu had no chance to answer Lilith's question before his neck snapped like a twig, making his body go instantly limp. Without another word, the mother of all the living absorbed Kaworu's dead body into herself, Adam and all.


	48. Apocalypse

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 48: Apocalypse

Misato gaped at the sight before her. Having just absorbed Adam, the pale Angel began to shudder and move. She fired a few rounds at the Angel, if only as an act of defiance, but the bullets unsurprisingly had no effect on the behemoth.

Slowly, Lilith began to pull itself free from the bolts tying it to the massive crucifix as its metal faceplate oozed off and crashed into the crimson ground beneath it. Knowing that the end was nigh, the Major prepared to run for the exit when she saw the Angel shudder again, a humanoid form molding itself out of Lilith's flesh and fall to the ground. She didn't know what made her run around to the concrete bridge and cross the lake of LCL, but once she was at the platform before Lilith, Misato picked up the body of the person who'd come out of the Angel. It only took her a moment staring at that light blue hair before she realized whose nude body she was supporting.

"Rei?"

* * *

As Shinji screamed helplessly into the void, Unit-01 let out its own roar, one which shook the ground below its feet and made the last MP cower in surprise at the sudden appearance of another adversary. Suddenly the Unit-01's armor shattered to reveal the sinewy flesh lying just beneath, freeing the beast within once again.

* * *

Maya stared at the small screen in shock, not entirely recovered from watching Asuka brutally slain before her very eyes.

"...Unit-01!"

"What's that?" Aoba yelled over the continuing gunfire as the JSSDF got ever closer to their position.

"...It's breaking free of it's restraints--pilot synchronization is approaching critical limits!" Before they could react to this new development, the sirens above them began to blare. The bridge trio and Fuyutsuki looked up at the twirling red lights, but the soldiers below them didn't seem to notice.

"A high energy reading's coming from inside Terminal Dogma!" Maya managed to say, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"...It can't be..." Hyuga muttered under his breath. "...An Angel?" The short-haired girl tapped a few keys before the screen flashed in protest.

"I...I don't know! It's not displaying a Blue pattern! In fact, it almost looks..." she was too bewildered to utter the last word, 'human,' aloud. Without warning, the JSSDF soldiers suddenly stopped firing, and what little was visible of their faces displayed utter disbelief. The bridge trio, from their higher elevation, didn't understand why until a second later, when Maya let out a shuddering yelp.

Aoba twisted his head around to see a gigantic, ghostly head passing through the young woman. She was unharmed but scuttled out of the ectoplasmic being's warpath as the rest of its body began to rise into the air, passing through the bridge as if it wasn't there. Unconciously, Maya glanced at her laptop, then blinked at the screen.

"...It can't be...these energy readings...there the same ones from fifteen years ago..." her voice trailed off into silence as her eyes remained glued to the computer, but the three men surrounding her didn't need her to finish the sentence. Instictually, they had already realized what was happening.

Third Impact had begun.

* * *

In his fury, Shinji ran at the MP as Unit-01 let out another powerful roar, the humanoid monstrosity thirsty for blood. It threw aside its Prog knife, wanting the sadistic pleasure of killing the enemy with its own hands. Before Unit-01 could come within half a kilometer of the MP, however, it froze in place as the pale Eva stopped it with a wall of solid air, warping as the violet beast struggled against it. Shinji tried to make Unit-01 break free by using his own AT barrier, but it was instantly negated the second it made contact with the MP's Field. The pilot of Unit-01 groaned in protest as he felt the Eva's limbs being frozen in place as though on a cross. The MP began to float skyward, dragging the rouge Eva with it.

* * *

How could Rei have come from INSIDE that thing? Misato wondered as she lifted up the inert body of Unit-00's former pilot, looking no different than she had before her death. The Major glanced up at the feet of Lilith, now slowly drifting through the roof, and decided that such questions were for a safer time.

"Rei! Rei, speak to me!" she bellowed at the girl, but she refused to move, instead remaining in her comatose state. "Rei, wake up, we have to get out of here!"

* * *

Shinji had given up resisting; he sat on the Entry Plug seat with his head in his hands. Through his fingers he could see Earth hanging just below him, the ground still visible through the swirling clouds surrounding him and his captor. Suddenly something caught his attention, just enough to make him widen the gap in his fingers to see the glowing pale form that filled up his range of vision.

_What the..._

There, standing before him with hands cupped around Unit-01 and giving him a benevolent, passive expression was the gigantic form of...

"...KAWORU?"

He screamed his lungs out, his mind refusing to accept the impossibility that stood directly before him. In his desperation, he fervently began praying.

_Help me...someone...anyone...please!_

* * *

"...Shinji?"

Misato gasped as Rei's crimson eyes suddenly flew open, life returning to the pale girl's features as the name of Unit-01's pilot sounded gently on her lips.

"...Rei! Are you alright?" Misato shook her slightly when Rei didn't answer. "Rei, can you stand? Let's go--I'll get you to a safe place!" The Major helped her subordinate to her slightly wobbling feet, but when she started to walk Rei freed herself from the woman's grasp.

"...Shinji..." she uttered again, transfixed to the high ceiling as her feet remained planted to where she now stood. Misato stared at the girl, wondering what she was doing.

"Rei, what about Shinji?" Once again, Rei didn't answer her question, which irritated the worried Major. "...Is he in danger? ANSWER ME!" Rei only turned her head slightly so that she made eye contact with Misato.

"...I must go to him." Misato blinked before renewing her frantic yelling.

"What are you talking about? If you go out there, you don't know what could happen!"

"...If I don't," Rei whispered calmly, "...then all will be lost in the destruction of Instrumentality." To Misato's surprise the corners of Rei's mouth turned upward slightly before she spoke again. "I...do not wish for this world to be lost to nothingness. Not anymore. After all...this is the place where I found Shinji...and where he found me." With that, the pale girl closed her eyes and concentrated. The air around her warped slightly as she disappeared from sight, then returned to normal. Misato let out a sigh once Rei was gone, then instead of trying to run from the inevitable, simply stood where she was.

_Rei...bring Shinji back for me._

* * *

"Please..." Shinji pleaded into his palms, "...go away. I don't want to see this...Oh God, please help me..."

**_...Is this better?_**

Shinji blinked at the sound of a familiar, sweet voice speaking directly into his mind. He lifted his head to see, in Kaworu's place, the gentle features of Rei smiling at him. Shinji felt his fear instantly melt away. He was aware that it was still the same giant, just in a different shape, but he found himself unable to hide the joy he felt at seeing her face once again.

"...Rei..."

_**Yes, Shinji,**_ Lilith said in the pale girl's voice. _**I'm here.**_

"Rei...it hurts...I...I missed you so much...when you were gone..."

_**I know, my dear. But I can fix it. I can make it so you'll never have to be in pain again.**_

"...How...?"

_**All you have to do...is forget. Forget the rest of the world. Wish for mankind to be returned to the cradle of its Creator's arms. Then...there will be nothing that will bring you sadness again.**_

Shinji blissfully shut his eyes, surrendering to the will of Lilith as he unconciously began to direct the course of Instrumentality.

* * *

Misato felt a presence near her and turned around. A few feet from her stood none other than Kaworu. She blinked, but suddenly the silver-haired boy was no longer there. In his place stood a tall man with unshaven stubble and long hair tied lazily into a ponytail at the back, who pulled the helpless Misato into 'his' arms. She gazed into the man's brown eyes, radiating warmth as he held her tighter, the Major scarcely able to believe it.

"K...Kaji...?"

Without a single word the apparition of Misato's lover cradled her face in his hand and pulled her into a passionate kiss. It only took the violet-haired woman a moment to surrender, returning his kiss with as much pent-up longing and joy that she could muster. She felt as though her heart was going to explode, then a moment of complete bliss...then nothing as her body suddenly 'popped' into a puddle of LCL.

* * *

In the bridge, Hyuga looked down at the chaos reigning below the bridge trio's platform. JSSDF soldiers, along with NERV personnel, were in various states of bizarre activity, almost like they were facing ghosts. Some were embracing the air, others were shooting wildly at nothing, but all were one by one turning into puddles of orange-red liquid. The smell of blood was steadily filling the air as the coagulation of the LCL only continued to grow. Suddenly he felt a pair of hands on his face. He turned his head and his eyes nearly popped out of his face at the sight of his violet-haired commanding officer fawning over him, her eyes filled with blind love.

_Misato...?_

He could only manage to think her name as the facsimile of Misato pulled herself close to him, resting her lips on his own before Hyuga disappeared in a spray of LCL.

* * *

Maya cringed helplessly under the desk. Aoba had disappeared and she had just seen Hyuga go; it was only a matter of time before the same fate befell her. She looked up to see her sempai kneeling there, still much taller than the short-haired girl.

"D-Doctor Akagi?"

The scientist's cold and professional demeanor had disappeared, she looked at Maya as though she was the most beautiful thing in the world before pulling her into her arms. Joyful tears formed silently in the young woman's eyes as she threw her arms around the object of her affection, her heart overflowing as she whispered the name she'd longed to utter for so many years.

"...Ritsuko..."

* * *

"Ikari...did you see Yui as well, I wonder?" Fuyutsuki said with a smile as the form of Yui Ikari reached out from overhead and gently carressed his worn and tired face before he followed suit and vanished.

* * *

Thousands of miles overhead on the surface of the moon, the true Lance of Longinus shuddered and, pulled by a mysterious force, shot away from the cratered-covered satellite and toward Unit-01.

* * *

All across the world, millions of tiny lights, each one representing a single human soul, twinkled into brilliant existence and lit up the surface of the blue planet. They slowly drifted around Lilith, awaiting the final key that would bring about the end of mankind. Shinji felt himself start to fade away under the loving gaze of the titanic Rei that held him suspended in the vacuum of space. Slowly, a tiny flash of red appeared in the distance as the Lance drew closer to Unit-01's core.

_...All I want now,_ Shinji thought quietly, _...is for this all to end. I'm tired of living in this world with my horrible father and my mother gone... No one really cares about me, so they can all die. I don't care anymore._

The Lance was now only a few seconds from Unit-01's core. Its pilot closed his eyes once again, welcoming death.

"NO."

Shinji blinked and snapped out of his trance to see a small, pale girl that had materialized just in front of Unit-01. A girl with sky-blue hair...

_...It can't be..._

She had her hands held out in front of her as the Lance of Longinus rocketed towards towards herself and Unit-01. But instead of going through her, the slender weapon stopped in midflight, the flashing of an AT Field blocking the Lance from its final destination.

"...Rei?"

Considering her insignificant size compared to the gigantic weapon, that Rei could even hold off the Lance of Longinus was a testament to the strength of her AT Field. But she was showing signs of strain as the Lance continued to drive itself further in, threatening to crack the barrier despite that it was the strongest it had ever come in contact with. Rei glared at the weapon, pushing harder with her mind as her Field sparked from the friction against the Lance. In desperation she tried the only remaining option. She dropped her AT Field just enough for it to come shooting straight toward her.

"REI, NO!" Shinji screamed as reality came crashing back to him, though he still could not move. He was silenced as Rei re-directed her barrier and, using it as a buffer, caught the tip of the Lance in her hands.

On contact with Rei, both she and the Lance became illuminated, shining a blinding light that enveloped everything within its brilliance.


	49. Revelations

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.

Chapter 49: Revelations

Coherence slowly made its way back to Shinji, quietly shaking the boy out of his deep slumber. He looked up to find that everything--Unit-01, Lilith, the MP, the Lance-- had disappeared, replaced by a vast, bright emptiness that stretched out before him.

"W...where am I?" he whispered, clutching his forehead as though suffering from a painful migraine. As though on cue, the blankness around him flickered, not unlike a film projector starting up, replaced by the sudden flow of light and sound.

Shinji blinked when he saw it-- a lush green field, filled with trees and bushes, and there shielded from the light by one of the larger pines was him and Asuka, inexplicably kissing passionately. The boy's eyes widened as he gazed on the sight, like it was a very interesting museum attraction.

"W...What?" It seemed strange. He didn't have those feelings for Asuka, so why was he seeing this? Suddenly the 'movie' blinked out, only to be substituted for a sweltering hot bedroom where Misato and a taller man (Kaji, he soon realized) were moving under the covers, the only indications of what they were doing being the low, pleasured sounds of moaning. Ashamed, Shinji averted his eyes, but the void before him changed again. This time, he nearly fainted--Toji, alive and well, was walking down an unruined city street, gently swinging a smaller girl's arm while she giggled ceaselessly--his sister.

"Where...am I? What is this place?"

**You are within the heart of Instrumentality. Within your own universe.**

"What?" The voice, which was neither familiar or unknown answered calmly back.

**These are various other worlds. Other possibilities. To live is to change, but the only the one who stands at the crossroads of existence can determine what path is the correct one.**

"What...path? What are you talking about?"

**When the Lance of Longinus was prevented from making contact with the core of Unit-01, it interrupted the fulfillment of your chosen conclusion. So now you must determine, for yourself, which direction Instrumentality will take.**

"But then...who are you?" Shinji demanded of the disembodied voice.

**I...? I am you. The you that exists within your own heart. The Shinji Ikari that desires _this_.**

Suddenly the blankness transformed again, but this result made Shinji's eyes widen in shock. He was standing on a beach of dark sand, but beyond the shoreline lay not a sea of clear blue water, but an infinite ocean of pure crimson. The stench of blood stained the air where the smell of sea salt would have been, and towering avove the horrid sea was a sky of pitch black, all the stars extinguished by the sackcloth darkness. And sitting on further down that beach was himself, lying on top of an inert Asuka, his hands furiously wrapped around her throat. The Shinji watching all this gasped, putting his hands over his mouth to stop himself from screaming out loud.

"Wh-what the hell IS this?"

**Why are you so surprised? This is the world you wish for.**

Shinji turned pale, then instantly fell back on disbelief to avoid accepting such a horrible possibility.

"N-no, I don't want this! I don't want to--"

**Do not bother lying. I know you down to the very darkest pit of your soul.** Shinji could say nothing to this, he simply remained planted to the spot while his other self continued. **...You desire a world without anyone left in it, as well as one which you share with the person you do not love. Do you know why?** Shinji covered his ears in a vain attempt to shut the noise out.

"N...no..."

**Yes, Shinji. You want this world because you want to suffer. You blame yourself for the pain others have endured in connection to your identity as a pilot. As such, the only option you feel remains to you is to live with your pain. To live alone with no support or love. Such things are for people...'better than yourself,' correct?**

Shinji dropped to his knees, sending up a small cloud of sand where they hit and gazed out at the burgundy-toned ocean. No matter how much he hated this world, he had to admit to himself that he deserved it, just as the other Shinji had said. He lowered his eyes to the ground, unconciously scooping up a handful of weather-beaten rock powder and letting it slip through his fingers. Out of nowhere, words Kaji had spoken to him long ago came ringing into his ears.

_Neither of us...deserve to be happy. And Shinji...neither do you._

* * *

Rei wandered slowly through the darkness surrounding her. She was actually trying to run, but somehow her movement seemed slower, as if the void surrounding her was somehow retarding time itself. 

_...Shinji..._

As if upon her will, she finally saw a light far off in the oppresive shadow, and its hold on her seemed to lessen. Desperately pushing herself again, the pale girl eventually succeeded in touching the bright light ahead, then stumbled through it as time fell back to its normal pace.

Rei lifted herself off the ground to see a beach surrounded by a red sea, the sky above providing only an luminous darkness as opposed to true light. She gasped at the desolation before her, uncertain that this was truly where Shinji was. But she had only walked a short way before she saw a familiar boy curled up on the sandy shore, face shielded by his knees. Rei slowly walked up to him, but made no attempt at contact. She bent down so that she was sitting on the balls of her feet, about level with Shinji, then quietly whispered to him.

"Shinji?"

The boy said nothing as he kept his eyes trained onto the ground before him.

"...Shinji...you have stayed here for too long. It is time for us to go back."

"...I can't," the boy whispered, barely audible since he still refused to raise his head to her.

"Why not?"

"...Because...This is what I deserve. I thought I could be happy, but...I can't. I've hurt so many people-- people who never did anything to me...I...I don't have the right...to be with you. I don't have the right to be with anyone. This...this is where I belong now, Rei."

The pale girl stared at him, left speechless by his words. She couldn't believe it. Was he really willing to just give up now? After she had fought against death itself to return to his side? She slowly reached out a hand to touch his arm, but before she could make contact he screamed out.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Rei flinched, halting the progress of her palm, but it steadily hovered over him nontheless. "...Please...just...leave me alone, Rei." For a long time both were silent as Rei remained planted to the spot, the occasional breeze cooling her face slightly but carrying the scent of LCL along with it. Suddenly Shinji felt a pair of slender hands cup the sides of his face, forcing him to look up at the angry face of Rei. Her eyes were burning with a fire, a certainty he had never seen there before, though a slight wetness was building up in her eyes as she spoke clearly and with determination at him.

"No." Shinji blinked at the newfound strength Rei was exhibiting. He had always admired her inplacable nature, but now she seemed truly alive, desperate to keep something she held dear from slipping through her hands once and for all. "...I have sacrificed too much to simply leave because you find my presence inconvenient."

"Shinji...you may believe that all you deserve is pain. Nothingness. I had believed that myself once. But now I finally understand the truth. The truth that you showed me." Shinji tried to turn his eyes back to the ground, but Rei continued to hold his head up, making his eyes meet hers.

"...What?" She smiled, then gently carressed his face as she gazed lovingly into his eyes.

"...That there is not _anybody_ in this world...who does not have the right to be happy. And since my happiness is tied to you, I won't let you choose an existence that will only bring you pain."

Slowly the landscape around them cracked, like a sheet of glass shattering in slow motion.

"You made me see that this world, for all its faults, is truly a wonderful place. I want to live in this paradise now, but not alone. I want to share it...with you."

The cracks in Shinji's desolate future ran deeper and wider, splintering the crystalline image into smaller refractions.

"But, Rei..." Shinji finally said sadly, his eyes once again averted, "...If we're together...I'll just lose you again. I...already watched you die once. I don't...I can't watch it happen again." Rei said nothing as she considered the ultimate fate that would befall both of them if they did choose a life together.

"...Yes..." she admitted, ultimately choosing not to bother lying to Shinji. "...One day, we will be parted. I cannot promise eternity to you, Shinji. But...perhaps that is what makes all this worthwhile. Because our mortal lives are so brief. No matter what lies beyond this world...I will never love anyone as truly, or as completely...as you." She pulled Shinji into her arms, cradling his head on her shoulder as she squeezed him with all her might.

"...I love you...Shinji."

With that--the beach, the crimson sea, the darkness above-- shattered into a thousand pieces as Shinji slowly drew his arms around Rei, the desolation that he had believed was all that remained for him gone from his heart with a handful of simple words.

_I...I can be...happy..._

"...Thank you...Rei," Shinji whispered as he held her in his arms.

* * *

Slowly cracks ran through the Lance of Longinus, suspended just above Unit-01's exposed heart. With a final smash that echoed throughout the universe, the relic of the Angels dissolved into a thousand pieces, one of them flying straight into Lilith's heart. The massive Angel made no sound as its body slowly melted away, disappearing into the blackness of space, the key to Instrumentality lost forever. Miles below on the surface of the ruined planet, the ghost of Yui Ikari stared peacefully as the twinkling souls of man slowly descended back through the atmosphere. 

_The son of man surrendered his call to the Throne of God, breaking the ritualized cycle of death and rebirth once and for all. And thus, true Instrumentality is attained._ She looked up to the sky, giving the now useless shell of Unit-01 a calm smile.

_Take care, Shinji...and Rei as well._

In that instant, she disappeared, finally able to continue her journey to eternity once more.


	50. Song of Solomon: Epilogue

You Belong To Me 

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1. I also do not own "I've Got You Under My Skin," written and performed by Frank Sinatra.

Chapter 50: Song of Solomon (Epilogue)

"Rei! Hey Wondergirl, over here!"

The slender blue-haired girl turned from her slow procession down the sidewalk at the sound of her old nickname and came face-to-face with a redhead only a few inches taller than herself, wearing her hair at just above shoulder length with a slight curl in the ends. For a moment Rei looked at the redhead peculiarly, but within a moment a smile spread on her face as an old memory came back.

"Asuka! Is that you?" Without warning, the redhead ran up and gave her friend a bearhug, nearly knocking the wind out of the more petite girl as she clumsily tried to return the affectionate gesture.

"Of course it is, dummy! How have you been?" Rei picked up the case she had dropped in her surprise, carefully ensuring that the laptop within had remained undamaged.

"Oh, I've been all right. I just got a raise at my job, so that's a good thing." Asuka smirked wickedly before replying.

"Hmph-- just enough to stay out of the poorhouse, right?" She started to laugh at her own joke, but stopped on seeing the dangerous look Rei was giving her. "Hey, I'm just kidding--you know me, I can't take anything seriously." Fortunately, Rei's frown melted into a more relaxed grin, ensuring that she had not been too offended.

"...So, how was Germany?" Rei inquired, changing the subject as they began to walk down the street together.

"Oh, same as always. To tell the truth, it's pretty boring over there. I'd much rather stay here with you guys." Asuka was quiet for a moment before she brought up the question she'd been meaning to ask Rei since she saw her. "...Hey, how are things goin' with you and the ol' ball and chain?" Rei rolled her eyes at the colloquial name for her husband of the last 2 years.

"...Things are good. I can honestly say that...we're pretty happy together." She noticed that Asuka was looking away pensively, so she decided to snap her out of it. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Huh? ...Oh yeah, I'm fine. It's just...it came as a bit of a surprise to all of us. I mean, we knew you guys were an item, but we just didn't expect either of you to take the plunge, you know?" Rei gave an admissive nod, knowing how hard it had been to work up the courage to ask her companion of 5 years to marry her. Suddenly a silver-haired boy ran up to them, shouting Asuka's name. She gave him an exaggerated look of annoyance before it became a sardonic, yet happy, smile.

"I swear, you've got no manners. You don't just run screaming up to people without introducing yourself!" The silver-haired boy huffed in frustration.

"Well, then you shouldn't just wander off, I had no idea where you were!" Asuka said nothing, but she did seem a bit repentant when she spoke.

"Well, anyway, I guess I'll introduce you. Kaworu, this is my friend, Rei Ayanami. I've known her since junior high. Rei, this is Kaworu Nagisa." The two smiled kindly at each other as they shook hands. But at that moment, Rei gave him a peculiar look, as if he was blurry and she couldn't see him very well.

"...Have we met before?" Kaworu and Asuka only blinked in response. "I'm sorry," Rei said upon seeing their puzzled expressions. "It's just...I have this strange feeling--like I know you from somewhere else."

"Oh, you mean like deja vu?" Kaworu said with comprehension. "Hmm...you know, now that you mention it, I am sensing that a little bit." Asuka only let out a long, loud laugh as she heard them babbling to each other.

"I swear, you two are so weird! What are you even talking about?" The two pale adults opened their mouths to retort before realizing that Asuka was right. The whole idea was impossible, after all. Kaworu shrugged as he extended his hand to Rei again, who took it in a firm grip.

"Well, it was very nice to meet you, Miss Ayanami. I'm sure that with Asuka around, I'll see you a lot more."

"That would be nice," the blue-haired girl said kindly as Kaworu and Asuka turned off down a different street, arguing with each other over some insignificant thing but looking comfortable nontheless.

**_I've got you _**

**_Under my skin _**

**_I've got you _**

**_Deep in the heart of me..._**

It only took a few more minutes walking down the street to come across her apartment complex.

**_So deep in my heart _**

**_That you're really a part of me _**

**_I've got you _**

**_Under my skin..._**

It was a little run-down in places, but it was really very nice considering how low the rent was.

**_I tried so _**

**_Not to give in..._**

Also, it wasn't too far from the open-air market or the city park, a few places that had become just like home to her and her companion.

_**I said to myself, **_

_**'This affair--It never will go so well...'**_

She walked a few more feet to the elevator and impatiently pressed the button that indicated her floor.

**_But why should I try to resist _**

**_When I know so well _**

**_I've got you _**

**_Under my skin?..._**

The bell finally chimed as the doors slid open, and Rei stepped onto the landing, following the railing around to Room 402, sitting at the end of the hall.

_**I'd sacrifice anything, come what might **_

_**For the sake of having you near **_

_**In spite of the warning voice **_

_**That comes in the night **_

_**And repeats **_

_**Repeats in my ear...**_

She slid the key into the slot, turning it until it clicked quietly. She slowly opened the door to be met with the pleasant smell of tomato and squash being cooked in teriyaki.

**_'Don't you know little fool?_**

**_You never can win _**

**_Use your mentality _**

**_Wake up to reality...'_**

She set down the laptop near the door along with her shoes, then tiptoed onto the wooden floor carefully, hoping to sneak up on the apartment's only other occupant.

_**But each time I do **_

_**Just the thought of you **_

_**Makes me stop before I begin...**_

Sure enough, there he was in the kitchen, his back to her as he remained occupied with his cooking.

**_'Cause I've got you _**

**_Under my skin..._**

Shinji's medium-length hair matted on his face, slightly impairing his vision other than the vegetables sizzling right in front of him.

_**I'd sacrifice anything, come what might **_

_**For the sake of having you near **_

_**In spite of the warning voice **_

_**That comes in the night And repeats **_

_**How it yells in my ear...**_

He didn't even notice the return of his companion until he felt a pair of slender arms wrap around him from behind and a head gently lean against his back.

_**'Don't you know, little fool?**_

_**You never can win **_

_**Why not use your mentality?**_

_**Step up Wake up to reality...'**_

He stopped what he was doing and stood there with a smile, letting her embrace him as his hands found their way to hers, the ring on his left hand clinking quietly as it touched the band on her own finger.

**_But each time I do..._**

For a long time they stayed like that, neither saying a word, both perfectly content with each other's presence.

_**Just the thought of you **_

_**Makes me stop just before I begin...**_

Finally Rei broke the silence with a whisper.

_**'Cause I've got you **_

_**Under my skin...**_

"...I'm home." Shinji closed his eyes peacefully as he answered back.

"...Welcome home."

END

* * *

Final Thoughts and Acknowledgements 

Wow! With that, my first long-term fanfiction is complete! It's taken a lot of time and effort, but I can honestly say that it's also been one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had with writing. I love the Shinji/Rei pairing, and I hope that over the weeks I've been doing this story that readers feel like I've done it some justice.

Speaking of weeks, I have to say when I started this I never expected it to become this long--50 chapters to cover what's essentially 4 episodes of the show! (LOL) Part of this is attributed to my cliffhanger-dependent writing style, plus my brevity when it comes to chapters (to anyone annoyed by this, I apologize.) Plus, the story underwent so many changes while I was writing it. Since I wanted to impose the idea that Rei's survival at the hands of the 11th Angel would in fact have a major effect on the Eva world, I had to consider a lot of things I hadn't thought about at first: Would SEELE act the same as in the series? What about the other characters? How would they change according to alterations beyond their control?

In terms of ideas, A lot of things sprang up during the course of the writing. I had it in my head pretty early on that Rei should become the last Angel, but how I went about it was uncertain at first. I had not intended to bring back Asuka until the end at first, and I didn't really plan on her relationship with Kaworu becoming what it did. I'm sure a lot of authors here can relate to the feeling that when you write a story, it slowly begins to develop a life of its own.

Ultimately though, I had not intended for Kaworu's development as it unraveled in the course of the story. I had at first unconciously cast him as the 'ubiquitous bad guy,' but to be honest I don't like to write characters like that. I think that in the end, he turned out to be a fairly dynamic character. And I don't really like Asuka either, but she kind of changed and grew as well.

I got a lot of threats :) and accolades for how I handled the last Angel battle between Shinji and Rei, and I think that it ended up becoming the emotional climax of the story. But what made that chapter special to me was that a few people mentioned that they were actually deeply touched by Chapter 38. It's one thing to be praised for your work, to be acknowledged for it, but it's a whole other feeling entirely to know that something you do has an affect on others, if only for a little while.

Anyway, now I'd like to extend my gratitude to the following people:

To Marine Brother Shran, Beowulf, NixRMax, Lone Wulffe, M.G. Lee and everyone else who reviewed regularly, thank you for your support and encouragement.

Thanks to the people of The Tales of Apartment 402, my new home of fellow R/S fans who also lent me their support.

A special thanks to Caphriel and Dark Plague for help with some Eva info I used in chapter 42, and to Anubis for some advice for chapter 49, even though I ended up not using it (blushes).

And ultimately, a shout-out to all the people who've stuck with this humble little fic 'til the very end.

BTW...I'm thinking about writing an A/U sequel to this story. If the readers want it, then I'll definitely write it, but not right away--I've got another R/S story I've been sitting on and want to get started on before too long.

Peace and Love,  
BebopSamurai


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